


Universal Displacement

by Something_clever



Series: Universal [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Various Others - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Loki Does What He Wants, Mad Science, Original Character(s), Original Female Character - Freeform, Sequel, Snark, canon-ish?, if you don't think about it, it totally makes sense, tony does science, universe hopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-31 05:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 166,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3966355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Something_clever/pseuds/Something_clever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel, AU. It's almost been a year and it's still hard for Sutton to count the Marvel universe as home. But when a mystery illness strikes her, Sutton is thrown for a loop as she finds that things can always get worse. Suddenly she's lost, with no team to back her up, and is forced to make big decisions on her own. She just might realize that the MCU can be home after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home Sweet Home?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovlies! I was going to wait longer to start posting the sequel, but I just added a new chp to ffn today and so I decided, why not? Are you ready for more chaos and snark? Attempts at snark? I'm excited to say that I am trying a lot harder to make sure that this story is all pulled together and cohesive and just better in general. Thank you to everyone who stuck with Universal Headaches 'til the end! Hopefully this next story will be just as enjoyable for you! :)
> 
> I feel like I have to say, as I've informed some reviewers on ffn, that this story is going to go a bit off the canon path. After all, Sutton did mess up the natural flow of things. And I am going to be following a few different people's perspectives to try and give the story a bit of scope. I hope it won't put people off too much, but I'm as excited as I am terrified about it. (We get to see more Loki this way...eh? Eh?)

Loki marched down towards the end of the room in rattling chains, his face in an ill concealed smirk. There should have been no reason for it. He had shackled wrists, feet, and one inexplicably around his hips. Not to mention he had lost every goal set when he'd gone to earth,  _and_  to the earth from which Sutton Regan, the unmotivated mortal of power, came. But still, there was a smirk that he swallowed down as they entered further and further into the room. Thor followed along after his brother and the guards, his own face set in a worried frown.

Odin sat on his throne before them all; regal in gold, his one good eye casting judgement on the company. Frigga stood to the side. She held herself as the queen she was, though relief colored her face at the same time as it was marred by motherly worry and despair.

Loki stilled himself before Odin's throne without any fanfare, the smirk totally gone now. After the final rattling of the chains as they settled, the room was silent. Odin seemed to be waiting for a remark from his adopted son, but when Loki remained mum, he finally spoke up.

"So this is how my son must be returned to me? In chains and as a wielder of destruction. Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

Loki let the question linger in the air a moment before he took in a breath and lifted his head.

"Only that, had I not been so forgotten,  _cast_ into the void, and left  _defenseless_ , perhaps this moment could have been avoided."

The room started in surprise at his statement, Thor looked a combination of confused and furious at the claim. Odin snapped in reply.

"What do you mean by this?"

" _Oh_ ," Loki's tone was almost patronizing. "But I wouldn't want to make excuse for my behavior, would I? Since the mighty Allfather already knows me to be guilty."

"Loki," pleaded Frigga, her hands were clasped tightly together. "Please don't make this any worse."

Loki tilted his head back to look at her and flashed a face of grim amusement.

"Define  _worse._ "

Furious, Odin rapped his staff on the stone floor.

"Enough! Leave us."

Frigga cast an unappreciative glance up at her husband, but left after only a moments hesitation. Loki shot his own glare at the king of Asgard. After Frigga had completely left the room Odin continued on.

"You cause death and destruction wherever you go by your  _own_  hand and will. You are alive now only because of your mother's love, and you will never see her again."

The last statement seemed to reverberate around the spacious room, causing even Loki to blink in shock and dismay. His lips parted without sound ever leaving them and he looked on the man who had been his father in betrayal even unexpected for him. Thor winced, casting his eyes down, and looked away.

"Father," he spoke up as he moved around to stand by his brother. "Loki has indeed wronged Midgard and our people, but I fear a worse threat looms before us."

Odin's attention was drawn to his eldest son and he stood up from his throne.

"What mean you," he asked. "Speak now."

Thor sighed.

"On Midgard we were drawn through the Tesseract's power into another realm. We found ourselves on  _another_  Midgard, one that considered our people and the champions who I battled alongside to be mere legends. There we met a mortal woman with great power. She told me before our return home that another villain was in our future. One I am weary to believe."

"A Seer, then," said Odin. "Amongst mortals? That alone is hard to believe; but come. Who is this villain you so fear?"

Thor paused instead of answering straight away.

"Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves."

Everyone in the room froze. The guards surrounding Loki even fidgeted and looked up to Odin as if for reassurance that this could not be true. They all knew the stories of the Dark Elves who had tried to cast the universe back into darkness. The tales spoke of their mighty weapon, the Aether, that Malekith himself wielded.

Odin's grip on Gungnir tightened and he struck the floor with it again.

"Impossible," he said. "The Dark Elves were all destroyed by my father, Borr. This mortal was obviously a fraud."

"Father," Thor argued. "She had extensive knowledge of our world. Her earth could peer into our lives as if through a looking glass."

Loki tilted his head and grit his teeth as if frustrated.

"Listen well, for I shall  _never_  say this again, but you should listen to Thor's warning. The mortal woman has immense power-"

"Enough!"

In his anger, Odin's eye blazed fiercely.

"I will not exhaust Asgard of her people and resources for a false threat! The nine realms already descend into chaos. Thor, you will do your duty to restore order to Yggdrasil, and Loki will account for his crimes!"

Loki's eyes flickered, his lips twitched, and he did not try to protest. Thor's hands were balled into fists and his bearded jaw clenched at the dismissal and reprimand.

"Regardless of whatever lies you try to spin, Loki, your actions were your own. Consider it mercy that the dungeons are your new home."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Victoria Sung stood before the destruction that had once been her home. It didn't matter that it had been small, or old, or a rental. It was the first place that had allowed her to live out her independence. It was where she'd made one of her first friends who wasn't only interested in her for her parent's money. And now it was little more than a hole in the ground and her friend was gone.

_How had Sutton even survived this?_

There was a shuffling behind her and Vicki spun around, her short black hair bobbing as she finally looked at the woman she'd been avoiding making eye contact with the entire drive here.

"Thank you for coming," the woman said. "I've been wanting to come here, but...I've had no real excuse. The officials over this... _this_   _case_  haven't been exactly  _cooperative_."

Vicki's large almond eyes moistened as she nodded, her freckled face was pale.

"Mrs. Stringer, I know this must be harder for you than it is for me. If you don't want to come in-"

"No. I need to see it. Maybe there's something they missed. A clue. I just can't..."

But the woman's voice was being overpowered by emotion and Vicki felt herself wilting.

"I understand, Mrs. Stringer; it's ok."

"Please, call me Lindsay, dear."

Vicki smiled without humor.

" _Mrs._ Lindsay, then."

Turning back to the front door, Vicki took out her house key from her pristine Louis Vuitton bag and unlocked the latch. Her purse slipped off her shoulder and landed on the floor at the sight that greeted her. She could hear Sutton's mother choking back a sob behind her.

_It was...destroyed._

Vicki could hardly accept what was clearly before her. People had told her, of course, but to  _see it._  She pressed her hand over her small lips and took another step inside.

The walls of their living room and kitchen were black, one was even almost completely knocked over. The furniture was strewn about and tipped over. On top of that it was clear that a party had come through and done a thorough search of every nook and cranny. Sutton's mother whimpered from the door's threshold.

" _Oh, Sutton."_

Vicki had to find an unbroken chair and sit down. It was almost worse than when she had been bombarded by the press after she'd stepped off the plane coming back onto American soil. Suddenly she was known as  _"the terrorist's roommate"_  and everyone wanted to hear about the behavior and habits of Sutton Regan. Vicki still wasn't sure if she believed any of it. As if hearing her thoughts, Mrs. Lindsay spoke.

"She didn't do it; you have to believe that. She must have been threatened, or a hostage... Sutton could  _never..."_ But the woman couldn't finish and burst into sobs. "And they can't even  _find her?_  It's been two months and no one knows where my baby is! She couldn't have just disappeared!"

Vicki left her seat and rushed to embrace the broken woman. She stroked the mother's straight, sleek hair in a vain attempt to comfort her.

" _Shh_ , I know Sutton didn't do it. Mrs.  _S_ \- Lindsay, Sutton couldn't decide what to have for dinner half the time, or even fix the wifi by herself. I doubt she could be a terrorist ringleader."

Mrs. Lindsay lifted her head up and gave Vicki a watery smile that quickly died. It was almost disconcerting to Vicki how alike the woman and her daughter looked. Vicki thought it must be a terrible reminder of her loss every time the woman looked in a mirror. Both had thin faces with a defined jaw and bright eyes. Mrs. Lindsay had more curves than her daughter, though, and Sutton must have gotten her hair from her father. Her mother's, while a similar shade, was thinner and tameable.

"I'm sure Sutton is ok," Vicki finally said. "You know how she wa- _is_." With a sigh, Vicki berated herself. "I should never have gone on that trip. I should have brought her along, I just knew her boss was a jerk and I-"

"Victoria," Mrs. Lindsay interrupted. "It's not your fault, dear. You might have just gotten involved too and then..." But she couldn't finish again.

Vicki wanted to ask how the rest of the family was doing just to break the silence, but felt like it wasn't her place. Sutton had often mentioned her little brother, but Vicki had never met any of them and didn't want to upset the woman any more than she already was.

"I just wish I knew that she was alright," Mrs. Lindsay finally whispered. "I wish I knew if she were safe, or hurt, or frightened." She looked up at her daughter's once roommate with round eyes. "She's probably so, so scared-"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

"-of what the future might hold, especially almost a year after  _New York_. We have to worry about a totally different kind of illegal alien now."

Sutton hands fluttered around her frantically as she stood below a stage in a pressed pencil skirt and fitted blazer. The sea of faces before her were for the most part not even looking at her, but a few people in the front couple rows were watching her with rapt attention. The young adults in typical black gowns let out a round of laughter as the man at the podium smirked. Sutton worked to maintain her professional appearance.

"This is the part where I'm supposed to say that you can do whatever you put your mind to, but  _come on._ Not all of us can be handsome, multi-billion dollar, superheroes."

Sutton came very,  _very_  close to rolling her eyes, but caught herself before she slipped. That didn't stop some people in the audience from doing it while others chuckled.

"But seriously, for a second, you're graduating now and you have to get out there. If I've learned anything it's if something comes to you easily, it'll probably be back to bite you later. Our world is changing fast and we all have to keep up. And, odds are, if you were able to afford to come to this school you won't have a problem with that."

Sutton paused her signing for allotted laughter and waited to see how the speech would be wrapped up.

"Ok, like I said at the beginning, this speech isn't going to be long. To sum up, this world isn't going to do you any favors. You have to make your own mistakes and own successes. The future needs you to be your best. That being said, Stark Industries is accepting resumes in the back. But I warn you, interviews  _will_  include an obstacle course."

And then Tony threw up a peace sign and strutted off the stage. Sutton rolled her eyes in exasperation and let out a growl of irritation in the back of her throat. Her next few signs were small motions, just mockingly talking to herself.

_"And thank you to my_ _wonderful_ _interpreter, Sutton Regan."_

A loud shot of laughter startled her and she focused on the crowd to notice one of the Deaf graduates giving her some teasing applause.

Sutton flushed slightly but laughed and tried to make sure there weren't cameras pointed at her still. As far as she could tell they were currently remaining on Tony as he left the building. He apparently had someplace important to be, but Sutton wasn't so sure about that. Noting that she wasn't in the spotlight, she rolled her eyes again and held her palms facing herself as she brushed her fingers back and forth over each other making the sign for  _'whatever'_.

After the ceremony, Sutton was heading back to her rental car and flexing her tired fingers. A shadow passed over her as she reached for the door handle.

"So, I think you owe me an apology."

Sutton sighed as she turned away from her escape-pod on wheels.

"And why would I owe you an apology, Tony? I haven't even seen you in two months. If anything, you owe  _me_  one. I had to help interpret for that  _entire_  ceremony because you wouldn't let the school's interpreters sign for your speech. This is on top of all the office meetings I already interpret for regularly."

Tony shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just keeping you employed. And you owe  _me_  because you stole my spotlight."

Her right eyebrow rose up behind her bangs.

"Excuse me?"

Tony pulled out his phone and slid his thumb over the screen until he found what he was looking for.

"You just blew up the internet. Congrats on that low profile you said you wanted."

Sutton pinched the bridge of her nose as she examined Tony's phone. Apparently her eye roll  _hadn't_  gone unnoticed. It was a photograph of Tony on stage in the middle of his peace sign as she rolled her eyes down below. Someone had captioned the image:

_'The sign I want to give you only uses one finger.'_

Sutton groaned.

"No, no, no,  _no, no, no_."

"Oh yeah," said Tony. "And there's more where that came from. The ceremony was only an hour ago and this is practically viral. Probably all thanks to  _my_  popularity, but again, you've taken attention away from my super inspiring speech. That's rude."

"You know, Tony," Sutton deflected, "you don't have to wait until I'm an internet meme to say  _hi._  If it means that much to you, you can text. I mean, you  _did_ give me a Stark phone, after all."

"Which is amazing, right?"

"Yeah," she begrudgingly admitted. "And I'm half certain it's bugged too."

Tony grinned and suddenly she had the feeling that her joke wasn't actually a joke at all.

"Big brother has to watch out for you."

"Real funny, Tony."

"By the way, who's Axel? And why is Maggie trying to set you up with him?"

Sutton balked.

" _Tony!_ I should have flippin'  _known!_ I'm going to tell Pepper-"

Tony held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm kidding,  _kidding!_  Just got the office gossip.  _Sheesh_." He waved her to follow him as he made his way to his own parked car. It was red and very shiny. "Come on, I'll let you fly home with me."

Sutton frowned.  
"I thought you couldn't stay for the entire graduation because you had an important business meeting or something?"

"Oh, yeah I made that up."

_Figured._

She was going to decline the offer just to be stubborn, but someone was already taking her rental keys and Tony taunted her about flying coach filled with small children. It wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to think that Tony would pay to have the plane filled with infants just to mess with her. She decided that the private jet was more pleasant. Besides, Tony's planes usually had snacks.  _Free snacks._

Sutton was already munching on chocolate covered pretzels as the plane reached cruising altitude. Getting on the private jet had been the right choice. The seats were just as comfortable as she remembered from her first trip to New York.

"So," she started. "How have you been? I saw that whole Aldrich thing on the news. His court date is coming up soon, isn't it?"

Tony's demeanor dimmed as he nodded.

"Yeah, and my lawyers are going to make sure he doesn't weasel his way out of  _even one_ charge."

"Did he  _really_ breath fire at Rhodey? The news kept gushing about how he'd altered his DNA and attacked War Mach- I mean,  _Iron Patriot._ "

Tony snapped his fingers together.

"See! War Machine is a much cooler name, isn't it?"

Sutton't head lolled to the side.

"Yes. N-"

"And, yeah, he did. Luckily Rhodey realized he was in one of  _my_  suits and put him down really quick.  _I'm_ the one that developed the  _flame eliminator serum_  so he wouldn't be able to fry his prison warden."

Sutton sighed and nodded.

"I still can't believe the Mandarin was an  _actor._  I mean,  _really?_  You cast  _Sir Ben Kingsley_  to play one of Iron Man's arch nemesis's and he's the joke of a plot twist?"

It was Tony's turn to lift a brow at her.

"You do realize that Aldrich was the Mandarin instead, right? And it's a lot cleaner this way. You've got to let go of the whole "movie" thing, kid. This is real stuff now."

Sutton huffed and shifted in her seat.

"Yeah, I know. But how are you  _really_ , because you did mess up everything and probably missed out on some important character devel-"

" _I'm fine, kid_ ," Tony butt in. "I traded the Aldrich fiasco for some disaster in your world. I shouldn't have to go through suffering ordeals more than once, right?"

"I guess."

But he still looked a bit tired to her, like he hadn't been sleeping through the night.

The plane dipped suddenly and Sutton felt her stomach flip. She let out a small breathy laugh as the plane settled back down, but her stomach flipped again on its own. A tingling shot through her appendages and she saw double for a brief moment.

"You ok, Small Fry? You look a bit pale."  
Sutton nodded.

"I'm fine. Just too much sugar on an empty stomach, I think. Excuse me for a second."

Unbuckling, she entered the plane's bathroom and set it to 'occupied'. Sitting on the closed toilet lid, Sutton rested her head on the sink counter as nausea rolled through her once more.

_Not this again._

It'd been about a month or so since her last bout of symptoms like this. She'd been brushing it off as stress and a diet change, but now it was back. The tingling in her arms and legs reached an almost painful degree and Sutton bit down on her lower lip.

_Just let it pass._

She sat that way for five minutes as her head spun and gut churned. This probably wasn't normal. She should probably go to the doctor about this now. The idea was almost enough to make her as upset as her physical symptoms. Not that her insurance wouldn't cover it; Stark Industries actually had a really good benefits package. She just knew that she was being monitored from all sides, S.H.I.E.L.D included. And if this turned out to be anything more than the flu, she'd be getting more than just "get well" balloons at her door.

The feelings finally passed and Sutton composed herself enough to rejoin Tony in the body of the plane.

"So, how's Pepper, anyway," she asked immediately upon her exit in order to distract from the amount of time she'd spent in there. "Is she holding up ok while still having to put up with you?"

"You know, as your boss you'd think you'd tread a little more lightly around me. You know, ' _Mr. Stark',_  ' _yes sir'._ I can jack up the price on your rent at any time."

"I don't even live in Star Tower,  _Tony._ "

"Yeah, but I own your complex."

Sutton groaned and rubbed at her eyes quickly.

"Is there anything you _don't_ own?  _Sheesh_ , I think we have to worry more about world domination plans from  _you_."

Tony snorted into the cup he was holding up to his lips. She hoped that he knew she wouldn't tolerate him getting drunk and dancing with the stewardesses while she was on the plane. Chase would have thought it was funny though. He always did have somewhat of a slanted moral code, if his excessive drinking had been any clue. Not that she condoned his activities at all. She had still been working on him. Giving her head a shake, Sutton refocused on whatever Tony was saying.

"-too much responsibility. Besides, rebellious uprisings are  _such_  a party stopper."

" _Right_."

One of the nice things about Tony,  _not that she were saying there were many_ , was that she never felt the need to entertain him constantly. The flight was not awkward and she didn't feel like she had to chat the entire trip. Besides, he did a pretty good job of shutting down conversation and working on some blueprints that looked suspiciously like the make up for a tank of an Iron Man suit. He didn't share and she decided that it were best if she didn't know.

When they arrived back in New York, Sutton ensured that Tony had arranged to have her luggage sent back to her apartment before they went their separate ways. He had a date with Pepper and she had a date with Netflix. Even if he'd invited her along she really couldn't cancel it again.

Sutton's apartment was a few blocks away from Stark Tower which made her commute fairly easy most of the time. She did travel a bit, as she just had for the graduation ceremony, depending on what needed an interpreter. And Pepper had been nice enough to have JARVIS put in the credits she'd already earned into her new made-up identity, so school hadn't been as long when she was earning her degree.

Sutton pulled her shiny silver key from her black leather tote and unlocked her front door. Inside the room smelt fresh, and she knew the air conditioning had been on recently. It was not a large apartment. She wasn't suddenly rich because she knew  _the_  Tony Stark. And she didn't really expect him to cut her any favors or throw piles of money in her direction just because  _she was who she was_. But the position she had now paid better than the job she'd had before, and she was able to afford living on her own. Again, the apartment wasn't big. This was New York, after all. It was clean and on the nice side of town and that was really all she cared about. A small brown leather couch took up most of her living room and across from it was her cherished television. Her bedroom was in the back, which equated to about two feet from the living room, and she headed there first to change into sweats before making her way to the kitchen. She put together two slices of bread with cheese in the middle and turned her toaster on its side to pop it in. The toaster was an obnoxious red and shining gold. It toasted her bread so that it looked like Iron Man's mask was burnt onto it. She wasn't going to harp Tony about her broken appliances ever again.

With her lazy grilled cheese and a glass of water, Sutton finally plopped in front of the TV and flipped to watch some british shows on Netflix. Tomorrow was Thursday, but luckily she only had two appointments that she had to attend, and Friday there was only one meeting scheduled that needed her in the morning. All she really had to do was avoid Maggie and Avery until then and then she'd have a stress free weekend. Because like Tony had heard from  _"gossip",_ those two had been pressuring her to go on a date with Axel for a few weeks now. Sutton just wasn't in the mood for it.

Not that Axel wasn't good-looking or incredibly nice, because he was. Sutton just didn't feel like now was the best time for her to jump into a relationship. Really, it  _had_  only been about a year since her move to another  _universe._  She thought she needed a little bit more recovery time than that.

Yeah, that was it.

Her stomach lurched again and she sucked in a breath as she stilled on the couch. More tremors passed through her and she closed her eyes trying to block out the pain. The television show on continued to play, ignoring her physical state.

_"I travel. Through time and space."_ _  
"He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures. And runs a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."_

_Ok,_ she thought, _it's decided._ She would make an appointment first thing tomorrow for a doctor's visit and make sure she didn't have cancer or something else equally as terrible. For now, though, she tried to just ignore the symptoms and refocus on her show. One more day wouldn't kill her


	2. Finding, Plotting, Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton gets a shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, here's the thing. It'd be great to have some input back from you. As I originally began posting this on ffn, I am bit further into the story on that site than here. I can do one of two things. I can continue to update a chapter a day until I catch up to where I am on ffn, or I can do a slower, weekly update schedule that might ensure a more regular update. (Though I can't guarantee that, I'm a bit slow with writing sometimes.) Let me know which one you guys prefer! Majority vote will call it. Thank you!

Sutton was not able to fully avoid Maggie and Avery the next day. She had succeeded in making it to lunch without running into them, but as she tried to leave Stark Tower for a little café down the block, they caught up with her.

"Sutton! Hey! Wait up, girl!"

Obediently, Sutton's feet froze and she gave a silent groan to the heavens.

_What had she done to deserve this?_

She liked Maggie and Avery, she really did. She would like them more if they weren't so set on her dating someone. Like it was a necessity to secure her happiness or something. Avery actually wasn't as bad about it, the girl knew when to back off the topic, but Maggie saw it as her personal mission in life to play matchmaker.

"Hey guys. Didn't see you there," Sutton fibbed. "I was just heading to lunch."

Avery grinned, her brilliant white teeth shining out from dark skin.

"Perfect! So were we."

Maggie nodded in consensus and the hair on the side of her head that wasn't shaved brushed against her face.

"Were you heading to that little café," she asked. "You usually go there, don't you?"

There would be no getting rid of them. Sutton nodded and accepted the fact that lunch would not be as quiet as she'd hoped. _Curse her and her habit for routines!_

"Yeah, come on. You guys can join me."

All three of them settled into a table outside since the day was so nice and ordered a light lunch. Sutton didn't think that she could handle much more than that with the girls stressing her out compounded with her mystery symptoms. Surprisingly enough, they didn't mention Axel straight away. Sutton found herself relaxing into chatter about the local happenings with Stark Tower and that new fashion line that had just been released by the Olsen's. Sutton's stomach had hardly churned once. And then the subject casually turned to Maggie's boyfriend and she knew it would end up on the subject of her dating life eventually.

"How is Phillip," Avery asked. "Is he still working down near 101?"

Maggie shook her head and sipped at her ice tea.

"No, the firm was never really able to bounce back after the attack. He's had to find other work. He's just been freelancing a bit right now, but I know he'll get picked up for something stable soon."

Avery glanced at Sutton, her dark eyes knowing.

"You know Tony Stark personally, right? Maybe you could put in a good word for him."

Sutton blinked as the conversation was brought to her and gave an forced laugh.

"Uh, maybe? I mean, that's not really what I- Tony- _Mr. Stark_ doesn't really take business advice from me. I'm just his interpreter."

Avery lifted an eyebrow and Maggie laughed.

" _Right_ ," Maggie said with a devilish grin.

Sutton's face flared red.

"Oh my gosh, _no_ , it's not like- _ew._ I mean I don't-"

The two girls burst out laughing.

"We're teasing you," Avery said. "We know you've only got eyes for Axel."

"Yeah," Maggie agreed. "And I hear he's free tomorrow."

Sutton was suddenly grateful that she had a legitimate excuse.

"Sorry," _but she wasn't,_ "I have an appointment that I can't miss. _Darn._ "

"Sutton," Avery said in mock firmness. "Axel is a catch. You can't tell me you haven't stared at his dreamy cinnamon skin, dark hair combo. Plus, he works in IT, so he's not an idiot. Especially if it's with Stark Industries. So what is holding you back?"

"Is it another guy," Maggie asked sympathetically. "Was it someone you knew in foster care?"

Sutton bit harshly at the inside of her cheek. She _hated_ it when people brought up her phony past. Not that it was their fault. They didn't know. But _she had a mother,_ darn it! She wasn't an orphan! She had a brother and a step-father and she _couldn't even talk about them._ Instead of blowing up and crying out to the world that she, _Sutton Regan_ , had a family and a home that she desperately missed, she smiled stiffly.

"Something like that," she said. "I just don't think that I'm ready."

Maggie was about to protest, but Avery nudged her in the side with an elbow and shook her head _'no'._ Sutton greatly appreciated it. Avery actually reminded Sutton of Vicki, in a way. Maybe that's why she kept the woman at arm's length. Not that they looked similar or anything, but they had the same firm dedication that they carried themselves in. Avery and Sutton could be good friends if Sutton let her.

"Well," Sutton said as she tossed some cash on the table. "I better get going. I still have one more meeting I have to be at. Thanks for joining me, this was nice." _Mostly._

They said their good-byes and Sutton made her way back to Stark Tower. Her legs were starting to tingle as she walked back, as if they'd fallen asleep and the blood was just moving again, but she pressed on. Only a couple more hours and then she could go back to her lone apartment.

_Maybe she should think about getting a cat or something. Were guinea pigs low maintenance?_

It was a boring meeting; at least to her. But luckily it finished up quicker than she expected and she was released out to do whatever she wished. She stopped by the still-partially-under-construction library to drop off some borrowed books and then picked up some milk from the grocery store before heading back to her apartment.

It still amazed her how much of the city had been demolished in the attack. Not that she hadn't known it was extensive. Heck, she was that person that pondered what reconstruction costs would look like in films. But living in the middle of it was a constant reminder. She couldn't just take out a DVD and move on from it. There were still huge construction cranes standing through the city like sentinels over charred remains. They still had a long way to go.

But she liked her apartment, it wasn't half of a crumbled heap. Her apartment was quiet and safe and didn't ask her why she didn't have _any_ childhood photos. (In fact, she hardly had any photographs at all.) The few people who had visited her place, which could probably be counted on one hand, probably left thinking that she really was the poor, lost orphan her new background made her out to be.

It was sad enough that she literally had nothing besides work going on until her doctor's appointment the next day. What was wrong with her? She hadn't been this pathetic before. It frustrated her, but then it was like there wasn't anything she could do to force herself to break from the pattern of it. Sutton sighed and shook her head as she finally arrived at her apartment door.

_What did it matter anyway?_

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Vicki dug through her belongings, packing away everything she wanted to keep. Her parents were insisting that she move back in with them until the whole _terrorist_ debacle died down more. Vicki wasn't entirely looking forward to it. Her mother would _insist_ that her room have the correct feng shui and they'd be more apt to pressure her into attending different formal events. It would be such a drag.

She folded another t-shirt and placed it delicately in her suitcase. There'd be others coming soon enough to help her, but she just needed some time to do a little of it on her own. Luckily her room was far enough from the detonation site to have escaped most of the damage. Vicki found that her eyes kept glancing to the hallway as she packed. Her suitcase was halfway full and she realized that she'd refolded the same skirt three times. With a frustrated scoff, she tossed the skirt down and marched down the short hall. She marched right up to Sutton's door, and then she froze. Her hand was poised over the doorknob.

She really didn't want to look inside. But, if that were true, why did the thought of walking away now send panic up her spine?

_Sutton wasn't dead. It wasn't wrong to look in her room._

Vicki stood tall and smoothed her short hair. Then she pushed open the door.

It struck her first that it was oddly clean, save for a few articles of clothing on the floor. Vicki stepped inside cautiously, as if she'd set off some booby trap if not careful, and peered around. It didn't _seem_ too unusual. There weren't schematics pinned to the wall or suspicious electronics on the tiny plastic desk. But there also seemed to be _something_ missing. Sutton usually had little knick knacks she collected scattered around. The piles of paper on her desk would only grow if she wasn't reminded to clean it up. In all respects, it was Sutton's room. There just seemed to be an absence of _Sutton_ in it.

Sitting on her friend's full sized bed, Vicki sighed.

" _What happened?"_

Her foot nudged one of the t-shirts on the floor and she blinked in confusion.

_Wait. That looked like..._

Vicki picked up the article of clothing and started in surprise. This was one of her boyfriend's shirts. Why did Sutton have it?

Vicki stood, eyes darting around the room at the other articles of clothing left on the floor. She took a short breath and raced back to her own room and pulled open the last drawer in her dresser. It was not how she'd left it. Half of her boyfriend's clothes were missing or mussed up. Vicki did not let clothes sit like that, _unfolded and collecting wrinkles_.

She suddenly looked up, studying her room anew, as if looking for some clue or sign as to what this discovery meant.

_Could Sutton and her boyfriend have...?_

_No._

Vicki shook her head and immediately dismissed the idea. Sutton wasn't like that. Not in a million years. Besides, she could always tell that Sutton had felt a bit uncomfortable when he came over to visit. And Sutton had made it clear that she wouldn't participate in the same relationship _activities_ if she ever started dating someone.

_So what, then?_

Perhaps it was the federal team that came in and searched their house? It was possible, but why would they move around her boyfriend's clothes? Why had they tidied up Sutton's room when the living room was obviously an inconsiderate mess?

A closer look around the rest of her room made clear to Vicki that not everything was how she'd left it either. Someone had moved her snow globe she'd gotten from visiting Roswell, New Mexico to the opposite end of the shelf she'd placed it on. Her closet sliding doors had been closed wrong, with the handles inwards instead of on the outsides. And her mattress, she gave it a good jostle, it seemed a bit sunken in. It was if something heavy had been laying in one place too long.

A metallic _'thunk'_ sounded through her room as the bed she'd been shuffling settled and Vicki refocused in curiosity. Her headboard may be metal but there was no way that the mattress or bed sheets made that sort of noise when brushing against it.

Pulling back the top mattress, Vicki reached down and tried to feel for whatever foreign object was lodged below. It didn't take long for her fingers to brush against something smooth and cool. Vicki's breathing hitched and she felt around until she finally found the end of the object and was able to give it a tug. She really didn't know what she'd expected to find, but it hadn't been this. _Not in a hundred years_ this.  
Vicki staggered back against the weight of the object she'd found and stared dumbfounded. It was a shield. And not just any shield. It was _Captain America's_ shield. She'd never been quite as obsessed- _er, passionate_ , as Sutton about the Marvel movies or characters, but she knew what this was supposed to be unquestionably.

"What the-?"

Why was there a cosplay shield shoved under her mattress? Why did it feel like solid metal? What was going on! She stood with knees bent and both hands hefting the shield up in the middle of her room as she stared around in confusion. Nothing made sense anymore. Sutton wasn't even very good at crafting, let alone metal forming, or whatever it took to make this.  
Vicki heard the door open and her head snapped to stare at the door in fear. She tossed the shield under her bed and heaved her suitcase back on top of her mattress.  
Why was she freaking out? Why did this all of a sudden feel like some sort of a conspiracy?

"Victoria? Dear, the men are here to help you move your things back to our place."

Vicki sighed.

"Back here, mama."

Maybe she'd be talking to Sutton's mother again soon after all.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Loki sat in a hand carved wooden chair as he skimmed the pages of the latest book his mother had left him. He lazily scanned the page as he reclined, eyes barely focusing, with an ankle resting atop his knee. It was not that he didn't enjoy reading, because he did, but he knew he was destined for _so much more_ than wiling away his life in mere books.

From the corner of his eye he could see one of the royal guard bring a tray with his prepared meal.

_Ah. They didn't forget the wine this time. Good._

Still, he did not show the young guard any acknowledgement as his meal was left. It was only as the _boy_ dawdled next to his cell that he finally looked up.

"Was there something else you were waiting for? I don't believe I requested your presence."

The guard shifted on his feet, the helmet partially hiding his furrowed brow.

"I was just wondering, well, we all were, if what you were saying was true. About _Malekith_. Do you truly believe he's back?"

Loki's brow creased, his lips turning down.

"Why would you believe anything I told you?"

The guard's spine straightened and his eyes sharpened as if he were remembering just who the prisoner was.

"No one would," he said. "But Thor was the first to make such a claim. And he does not lie. You are the only other who would know about these threats since Thor is gone."

Loki lifted one delicate brow.

"Do you believe Odin would leave Asgard in such a state of danger?"

The guard said nothing. Loki gave him a knowing look.

"I would _never_ wish to speak against _the king_. He is obviously as sharp and in as great of health as ever, is he not? I'm sure _his_ word can be trusted."

"Of course, _but_ Thor is next to the throne, and he believes Malekith a real threat."

Loki shrugged.

"Then let Thor take action."

The guard seemed to be instantly frustrated.

" _Thor_ is out fighting for the nine realms. There is no knowing when he will return."

Loki pierced the guard with shining green eyes.

"Then I suppose our only choice is to trust Odin. Or do you doubt the king?"

The guard looked startled and paled slightly under his helmet. He broke eye contact and stepped back away from the cell.

"Of course I trust our king," he said mechanically, stiltedly. "Which you would do well not to question." And then without further words, he departed. Loki went back to his book, his food going cold. The guard did not see the wide grin stretch across his face.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton sat in the doctor's waiting room and was trying to ignore the magazines that touted the magnificence of the Avengers while also contrasting the praise with the public's condemnation of them. And all the _Science Monthly_ issues were just explaining the brilliance of Tony's mind. She was currently perusing a _Good Housekeeping._ Even then, they still had an article about how to make your very own Thor cupcakes.

Eventually she was called back, _eventually,_ and she stressed to the doctor the severity of her symptoms and tried to describe them as well she could. As it usually was, she couldn't tell if the doctor actually took her seriously or not. But he agreed to a series of tests. They were totally stupid and useless at first, from what _she_ could tell. Not that she was a doctor. But, _really?_ _Looking in her ears and poking her stomach? Seriously?_

Finally he did some tests of _merit._ He took some blood and did an x-ray and one other test that she didn't quite understand, but the machine seemed fancy. But he had only agreed to those after she casually mentioned that she really wanted to be her best for _Tony Stark's conference meeting tomorrow. He was really counting on her to be there and be functioning on all cylinders._

When the tests were done, the doctor gathered up the supplies himself and asked her to _wait here_ and that he'd be back with the results shortly. Sutton snorted. She was well aware of a _doctor's_ version of _shortly._

The doctor finally came back into the room and Sutton stopped playing with the tongue depressors that she'd snagged. She ignored the doctor's exasperated eye roll and sat at attention. These were actually results she was interested in. The doctor put back on his professional appearance and smiled at her.

"Well, good news, Miss Regan. Your results are normal. There is nothing medically wrong with you."

Sutton frowned and shifted on the stiff, paper-lined bench.

"Then why have I been feeling so terrible," she asked. "I've never had these sorts of symptoms before. It can't be nothing."

The doctor gave her a condescending smile.

"Have you recently had a major life change or other added stress? The body can do many things in reaction to situations that cause us discomfort."

Sutton sighed at his response and glanced at the door quickly.

"Maybe," she conceded. "But it's still an issue. And it's been getting worse."

"Well then, I would recommend on either getting rid of the stressor, or trying to get away for a little while."

Sutton's lips pressed together tightly and she nodded sharply.

"I see. Well thank you."

She quickly left after that, scoffing at doctors and medical practices in general.

_'Just get rid of the stressor.' Oh! How lovely! What a great idea! Genius!_

Her left leg and right arm suddenly went numb as she walked causing her to stumble. Sutton snarled to herself. Doctors were the worst! No wonder Tony hadn't bothered with them in Iron Man 2.

_**Tony!** _

Maybe Tony could help! She knew he wasn't a doctor or a neurologist or anything, but maybe a few brain scans would do her some good.

Sutton hailed a cab, gave her address, and then pulled out her phone as the taxi entered traffic. Her fingers were starting to tremble against her will as she attempted to send a text to Tony. As soon as she'd sent it she received an automated reply in return.

_[My apologies, but Mr. Stark is currently not accepting calls or messages of any kind.]_

_[Jarvis, you know who this is. Where is he? It could be kinda important.]_

Jarvis was quick again in response.

_[_ _Miss Regan, Mr. Stark is currently taking time off at his home in California. He has instructed me to tell you that if you are not in the tabloids by his return, he will be very disappointed in you.]_

_[_ _He's a ridiculous person, Jarvis. I hardly know how you put up with him.]_

_[_ _I take one day at a time, Miss Regan.]_

Sutton snorted back laughter, trying not to draw attention from her cab driver. She was almost back to her apartment anyway; who cared if the cabbie thought she was crazy for laughing at an AI's jokes. She thought for an AI he was remarkably witty.

As she tucked her phone back into her bag she remembered why she'd been trying to reach Tony in the first place and sighed. They mystery symptoms could probably wait until he got back. She probably _was_ just stressed and was making a big deal out of nothing anyway.

**\------**

She was **not** making a big deal out of nothing! Sutton shrieked louder than she ever had before and fell sideways off her couch in a mad flailing of limbs. Her dinner plate spilled onto the floor, forgotten in the sudden scramble. Sutton pulled herself up onto her knees and thrust her left arm in front of her face. And then she screamed a bloodcurdling scream that was sure to give the neighbors nightmares for the next six months.

Her left hand was gone.

_**Gone.** _

Her mind was on fire as she blinked stupidly at where her hand should be.

_The heck, the heck, THE HECK?_

In a fleet, blipping moment of clarity, Sutton struggled to pull herself up fully and dove for her phone. She hit the speed dial with her right hand.

_[I am sorry, Mr. Stark-]_

Sutton seethed in a wild panic.

"Jarvis, you tell Tony _right now_ that if he doesn't answer this phone I will _personally_ destroy each and every one of his beloved Iron Man suits _after_ I dress Dummy up as Wall-E and-"

The phone suddenly clicked.

"Small Fry?" Sutton could have cried. Oh, wait. No. She already was. "What's up, kid? Jarvis said he was detecting odd fluctuations in speech pattern and-"

"TONY. Tony, Tony, _Tony_."

"Yes, me. Now wha-"

"MY HAND IS GONE, TONY. I am l-looking at where my left hand _should_ be and-and i-it's gone!"

"Excuse me?"

Sutton let out an enraged shriek and used the one had she still had to turn on the video capabilities on her phone. She shoved her left arm, stubbed at the wrist, in front of the camera and glowered fiercely. Her pupils were blown wide and her nostrils flared.

"WHERE IS IT, TONY? WHERE IS MY HAND, HOW COULD IT JUST _DISAPPEAR?_ "

Tony let out a surprised curse and leaned in as if for a closer look.

"Ok," he finally said. "Ok, just calm down. At least you're not bleeding out, right?"

"WELL YES AT LEAST THERE'S THAT."

A tingling sensation shot through her arm, and Sutton flinched back away from the camera, her eyes drilling in on her wrist. There was a flickering and then she watched as her hand phased back into existence. Tony's eyes were wide and Sutton was gasping, sucking in much needed air. She flexed her newly returned fingers and twisted her wrist around, fearful that it'd disappear once again at a moments notice.

" _Tony_."

"Yeah. Ok, I'm sending a jet over. Be ready, Small Fry."

" _No problem._ "

By the time Sutton got to California she was a mess of frayed nerves and jet lag. Every twitch, shudder, and tingle set off in her body had her frantic. She was staggering into the baggage claim when she felt someone grip her at the elbow and tug her along. Sutton stumbled, still uncoordinated, and looked up to see Tony's concerned face.

"But my bag-"

"Don't worry about it."

Sutton huffed just because she was supposed to, but was too tired and terrified to argue. She hadn't seen Tony's face so stern since before they'd gone through the portal and her stomach was sent into a seizure of quivers.

Tony behind the wheel was still as life-threatening as ever, but for once Sutton didn't care. The sooner they got to the lab the better.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?"

Tony shot a look over at her from the corner of his eye.

"Of course not; you just got here."  
Sutton frowned. His fingers were drumming against the steering wheel and his voice had a bit of unnecessary bite.

"But you have a theory?"

He glared at her briefly and then sighed.

"Let's just hope I'm wrong, kid."

Tony wouldn't say more than that and it only seemed to cause her heart to beat faster and more erratically. Once they were in viewing distance of Tony's California home, Sutton felt a bit more hopeful; she sighed.

"Sorry for ruining your and Pepper's vacation."

He looked at her as if she'd just told him that Steve had been frequenting strip clubs.

"Are you serious?"

"Well I-"

"Shut up, Small Fry. I didn't rescue you from prison and give you a job just to watch you disappear piece by piece."

"Technically you didn't-"

"Before you finish that, I'd just like to remind you that I _am_ your boss."

Somehow it was just what she needed to hear. Which made absolutely no sense, but it allowed her a brief laugh and she knew if anyone were able to help her it'd be Tony.

"Thank you."

Finally they made it up into the drive and Tony rushed her out of the car and to the door. Pepper was waiting for them in the entryway looking concerned but composed.

"Sutton."

"Hey, Pepper. Sorry about rui-"

Pepper rolled her eyes and interrupted her.

"Come on, let's get you to the lab. _Tony_."

Sutton was not surprised that Pepper already knew about the situation. Pepper knew _everything._

Sutton had only briefly been to Tony's California home, more like _mansion_ , and so was attempting to soak it all in. It was a bit hard to really appreciate it what with the threat of losing limbs still looming in large in the back of her mind. But she tried anyway. Her worries were forgotten completely for a split second as something across the room moved. Her face split into a grin.

"Dummy!"

The robotic arm sprung up as if surprised at such an enthusiastic greeting on his behalf. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Focus, kid."

He sat her down on one of the lab counter tops and began puttering around grabbing supplies and equipment. In the meantime he began asking her questions about her symptoms, _as if he were a doctor,_ and if anymore of her limbs had gone missing. It may or may not have been a joke but either way she was not amused. Sutton's right leg began to tingle painfully and she gasped as the shock ran all the way up her spine. Tony's sharp eyes locked on to her and he rushed to take readings.

" _Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!_ "

He must have not liked whatever results he was getting because his gaze flashed up to meet hers and he was scowling.

"How long has this been going on?"

Sutton shrugged, and then winced as her whole body was met with a shock.

" _Ugh_ , I don't know. Over a month, at least."

At that answer the fire in Tony's eyes flared and he grit his teeth briefly.

"And you didn't mention this before?" He let out a curse and tried to move faster. " _Geez,_ Small Fry."

" _I'm sorry,_ " Sutton snapped. Nausea rolled through her as the humming under her skin increased. She let out a painful moan as she squeezed her eyes shut, but pressed on. "I forgot to bother you with every little thing that goes on in my life. _Tony, I have a cold. Tony, I think I got a hangnail._ _ **Tony**_ _, they killed off my favorite TV character!"_ She sighed once again. "What is it, Tony? Tell it to me straight. I- _ow!_ "

Tony was still scrambling. Sutton could see a sheen of sweat forming on his brow and it only made her all the more anxious. Pepper stood in the background, a hand over her mouth and eyes wide; it made Sutton feel like she was about to keel over at any moment. It took a few seconds, but Tony finally decided to give her a response.

"Do you remember what I said about our universes being on different frequencies? Or something like that?" Sutton nodded that she did remember. "Well, kid, it's taken awhile to manifest, but your molecular structure doesn't match this one's. Your body, as far as I can tell, is trying to find it's way back home."

Sutton paled considerably more than she had already and swayed on the counter top. Her right foot was suddenly mauled by needles and she looked down to find it gone.

"Tony!"

"I see it."

Her eyes were heating up and threatening to spill over as she looked up to Pepper.

"I can't- I can't go home. Not now."

Pepper's face was white, making her freckles stand out even more sharply.

"Darn right you can't," said Tony. "Your body has no way of directing it's energy and even finding the right universe in the first place. The odds of you finding your way home are about one in-"

"Don't tell me the odds," Sutton shouted. "Fix it!"

"Yeah well, maybe if I'd had a bit more warning!"

The next tidal wave of pain was the harshest she'd experienced yet and she fought back a cry of distress as it washed over her. She was too afraid to look down and see what damage was done. Tony's intense cursing and Pepper's gasps were enough to give her a decent clue.

She met Tony's eyes and couldn't stop herself from letting the tears fall.

"I don't have enough time, Small Fry," he said quietly. "I can't-"

But she didn't get to hear the rest of it. The world was suddenly black and silent and she was being torn in a thousand different directions at once. There was no falling or flying or movement. She just _was._ Never had she felt more alone than as she did while being pulled through the nothingness of everything. She screamed out loud, and no one heard her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Evil smirk*  
> Review! Let me know what you think! It really does help, guys! Thank you!


	3. Deserted and Determined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton realizes she's in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! A little bit later than the week I was going for! Sorry, I lost track of time. 
> 
> Also, I just wanted to be sure I was clear on the timelines going on. I know it is probably a bit confusing with so many parts being addressed. But this is the gist of it. What we see with Tony/Sutton is the current time. When we see Asgard and Loki's shenanigans, that's still right after they got back from New York. I wanted to give that arch enough time to build up, and then it should join back up with Sutton's and everyone else's. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't confusing people!

Sutton came back to consciousness retching. She was on her side, face in what felt like hot sand with her sickness sinking into the ground. It was hot. It was  _boiling._ An attempt was made to groan, but all that escaped her was a thin, high-pitched whine. She didn't dare move yet. All her joints and limbs felt like she was still tearing herself apart with every tremble.

_So, so hot._

When she opened her eyes it was unreasonably bright, an ungodly assault of sun rays and she snapped her eyes back closed. Another sad little noise escaped her. Her body was already sweating, she could feel her clothes beginning to stick to her skin, and she figured she'd been lying exposed and vulnerable for longer than she'd would have liked. Eventually, she attempted to lift her right arm. To her great relief it was whole. It was still painful to move, but it had died down to a level she could grit her teeth and get through. With much effort, Sutton pushed herself up and turned away from the mess she'd made in the sand. Because it  _was_ sand. It was all over her skin and in her clothes and on her tongue.

Her arms were still shuddering uncontrollably as they tried to support the weight she put on them. She decided not to try and stand quite yet. Sutton used the time recuperating to try and get her bearings. The realization came to her still slow mind that she was in a desert.

" _Wha-"_

Her voice cracked and croaked as if she hadn't used it in a hundred years.

"Tony?  _Tony! Pepper!_ Jarvis? Hello?"

No one answered her calls. Sutton could feel her heart pick up speed as it raced down to her toes.

_This was not the lab. The was not_ _good._

She sighed in the back of her throat and tried to look up and guess about what time it was based of the sun and-

_Sutton froze._

Her eyes widened to epic proportions and her fingers dug uselessly into the sand beneath her.

There were two suns.  _Two suns._

Her throat felt like it suddenly closed up on her and Sutton was left gaping. Oh no.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no._

With much effort, bones creaking and muscles crying out, Sutton managed to balance on two feet and took a better look around.

Nothing.

There was nothing around her save for sand and heat. There wasn't even any plant life, no cacti or desert grass, to account for.

"Where am I?"

It took her brain a bit longer,  _again_ , to come back from the fritz and after baking a bit more she finally realized one simple thing.

She could not stay here in this one spot.

She had to find shelter and water or she'd fry faster than an egg in a hot pan. Her gaze drifted up towards the spot in the sky where the two suns hung, but she forced herself to ignore it. She had to focus on life and death issues for the moment.

And who knew what sorts of creatures called this desert home.

As if to answer her thoughts, there was a sudden eruption of far off noise. Sutton couldn't be quite sure, but it almost sounded like an angry donkey. Several angry donkeys, actually. Except angry donkeys had never made her feel like she was about to pee her pants in terror. She turned in the opposite direction of the haunting sound and took off as fast as her body would allow her. No matter what, she needed to find civilization soon. Otherwise, it'd be death from dehydration or angry mystery animals. Neither one tickled her fancy.

There was only one  _teensy_  flaw in Sutton's otherwise radiant plan. She had absolutely no idea how to actually  _find_  civilization. There was no way of knowing which way was north, no roads or trails as far as the eye could see, and not even a cacti to try and coax water from to quench her thirst. As far as she knew, she'd been dropped in the middle of the Sahara desert. Her eyes flicked up towards the two suns.

_Ok. Not the Sahara. But still._

More accurately, she had no idea what  _planet_  she was on. Was it even one of the nine realms?

"Um, Heimdall," she croaked. Her throat had dried up long ago. "If you can see me, dude, I could use some help. I'm pretty sure you guys will have fixed the Bifrost by now." There was nothing. "I'm friends with Thor," she tried. "Just ask him!"

She waited. Silence.

With a sigh, she continued on. For all she knew she could be going in the absolute wrong direction. Or in circles. Or worse! She wasn't exactly sure what "worse" might be, but she  _was_  sure that there was always something.

So Sutton continued on. After all, as long as she kept going in one direction she was bound to get  _somewhere._ She could only hope that wherever that was, it was pleasant. Helpful even, if she were being optimistic. But as she staggered on the suns only rose higher and she was beginning to sweat less and less. If only she weren't such a freakin'  _northwest polar bear._  Maybe she'd fair better in this weather  _then_. Not even almost a year in New York could acclimate her to the heat and humidity.

As she walked she tried to theorize what had happened to her. Tony had told her that her body was "trying to find its way home".

That had obviously not gone well.

_So she was not home; somewhere else then_. That sentence made a couple loops around her brain before its ridiculousness sank in and she scoffed at herself with the little energy she had left. The heat was really getting to her. The few brain cells that she imagined she had left were not fairing well.

As the suns sank lower in the sky Sutton's relish of the sudden coolness was interrupted by dread. She felt like she'd been awake for days. It was going to be dark soon. She still had no food or shelter. Her left foot dragged a little too low and caught on the sand and she stumbled down onto her knees. A dry tongue ran over brittle lips and in that moment she would have curtsied to Loki himself for just one glass of water. Her skin was already a bright, angry red and starting to peel. An attempt to stand back up failed, and Sutton surrendered herself to sinking into the sand.

Was this how she was going to end? Universes away from any home, all because her body had landed her,  _quite stupidly_ , in the middle of some desert planet? Sutton would have scoffed but now she didn't have enough moisture in her throat to do it. She let the grains of sand press into her face and invade her sweat soaked hair.

She thought of her mom. Of the way her mother had always tried her hardest to brush out Sutton's wild mane before they'd both learned it was pointless. The way her mother would laugh at her stupid jokes and try and counter with a lame pun in return. She thought of her half brother, Tyrese, and her step-dad. Sutton even wondered what Pepper and Tony might be going through right now. Did they think she was already dead? Her body didn't even have enough liquids in it to waste on a tear.

Even as the cooled air began to sink into her bones, Sutton regretted not telling Tony about her symptoms sooner. How was she supposed to know it'd actually be serious!

_Why did he always have to be freaking_ _right_ _?_

Her eyes finally drooped, then closed. A new, sparking panic sprung up inside her, but she was too exhausted and dehydrated to move. She didn't want to die! Not so young still! But her muscles were limp and burning under already heated skin.

Even as her throat began to feel like it was closing up, she tried to force herself to see the bright side. Maybe she wouldn't die. Maybe Tony would zap her back home? And,  _and even if not_ , she swallowed with difficulty at this thought, even if she _didn't_  make it, at least she knew where she was going, right? At least there would be warmth and love and wicked awesome streets made out of gold and gates of pearl. Right? But she really wanted to live a bit longer!

_God, I don't want to die yet. No offense or anything, I just...I just..._

Sutton's thoughts slowly faded to nothing.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

The lab was silent as Tony stared dumbly at the countertop where Sutton had been sitting. It was empty. As if no one had been sitting there in the first place. The sound of movement, bare feet on cement floor, broke him out of his daze. He could feel Pepper rest a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Tony," her voice was shaking. "What-what happened?"

Tony let his eyes linger on the empty countertop a moment before his brows furrowed and his lips pulled down into a determined line.

"She's gone," he said. Suddenly, he jerked away standing tall, shoulders stiff and pulled back. "But not for long. Jarvis, get me readings and diagnostics on what just happened. I want numbers, I want data. Pull up the info I entered from last year with her biometric readings. See if she left any recent tissue or blood samples at any doctor's appointments."

_["Of course, sir. Collecting data immediately."]_

Screens began to light up, filling with percentages and bar graphs that meant little to Pepper.

"Tony, what are you doing?"

She tried to move to console him, but he was darting around the lab with more focus than she'd seen him have since he first returned from the Middle East.

"I'm gonna find her, Pep," he said simply.

Of course he was. Always so sure and confident in himself and his abilities. Pepper let her hands fall to her sides helplessly as she watched him work.

"This is...this is big, Tony. You don't know where she is or if she's even... _ok._ "

Tony just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I've done it before."

"That was different," Pepper argued. "You only had to find one universe and you knew where everyone was. Now you're going to try and find  _one person_  in, in an  _infinity_  of universes? Tony, that's impossible!"

Tony snorted a bit under his breath, breaking out of his shock and coming back to himself a bit.

"You know, she was actually a bit more encouraging than you are."

Pepper folded her arms over her chest and watched him drolly.

"I though we agreed it was more  _enabling_ than anything else _._ "

He rolled his eyes when he thought she couldn't see it, but she did. She usually always did. The conversation did not slow him down. His hands were lifting, moving, fingers scrolling through screens, eyes darting from one thing to the next. There was only so much time available to pick up the residual readings from the occurrence that had just happened and he wasn't going to miss whatever he could glean from it. Pepper watched him, frustration and despair clashing against a hope she knew could be dangerous.

" _Tony,_ " she said once more in exasperation. "This is too big,  _too much_ , there is no way you can do it on your own. We all know you're brilliant, but you're a mechanic. You're not a-a-an  _astrophysicist_ or anything."

His hands stilled and Pepper frowned as his eyes lit up, lips twitching.

_That could either be a really good thing or..._

"No," he agreed. "No I'm not. But I know someone who is..."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

There was something cool and refreshing, almost healing, running down her throat. The muscles in Sutton's neck convulsed of their own accord as she began to greedily take in the substance. She couldn't tell what it was, couldn't place the flavor, it didn't even register that it might  _have_ a flavor. All she knew was that it was filling a need that had been left too long unmet.

"Slow down, not too much now."

The soft voice called her mind away from purely primitive thoughts and she opened her eyes groggily. Her vision was blurry at first. All she could see was a blur of browns and a human shaped mass kneeling over her. Sutton blinked and groaned while arching her back. The sun wasn't beating down on her anymore, but her skin still felt tight and sharp.

"Easy," the voice said. "You're a bit worse for wear, I'm afraid."

The person finally came into focus, and Sutton found herself lying on a a scratchy piece of cloth and staring up at a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Although, to be fair, she could have been younger too. Sutton was still trying to recover from a brush with death and the woman's face was tanned and lined in a way that gave evidence of hard labor. But hers was an honest face, if a bit plain, and Sutton relaxed slightly.

"What-where am I?"

The woman busied herself with putting away the rustic looking cup Sutton had drank from.

"You're lucky," she said. "Not many survive a trek out into the desert like you did. You must be in someone's favor for those Jawas to 've found you like that."

One of those words caused Sutton to pause mid-thought and she repeated the sentence a few times in her head to find out which one it was.

"Jawas?" Her face blanched. " _Oh no._ _Jawas_ _._ " She let loose another long, horrified groan. " _Not Tatooine._   _Please_  tell me I'm not on  _Tatooine_."'

The woman gave her a sympathetic look and nodded.

"I'm afraid, unfortunately, you are. I'm called Lyyr, by the way."

" _Sutton,_ " Sutton replied automatically.

Lyyr tilted her head at the name, as if it were strange. Then she shook her head.

"Not a Tatooine name, but given your surprise I guess you're not from here. However you found yourself on this planet, I am sorry."

Sutton let out little grunting noises as she pushed herself into a more comfortable sitting position.

"You and me both," she said.

As she attempted to stand on two legs, Lyyr rushed to push her back.

"No, no. Rest still, please." She peered out a small window leading outside and gave a small start. "I must go, or my master will not be pleased. But as you have no identification or credits, you have to stay out of sight. The stormtroopers are not known for being merciful, especially to those in need."

Sutton sucked in a breath and muttered to herself.

" _Well that answers the 'when' question, I guess."_ She focused back on Lyyr and responded to the woman's plea. "Ok, I'll stay here. For now."

Lyyr's shoulders slumped and she gave a happy sigh.

"Wonderful. I will return this evening; we can talk more then. There is some salve in the other room for your burns, if you require it."

The way she eyeballed Sutton's body told her that she thought Sutton _did_ need it. Sutton thanked her and then watched as the woman left out the front door. Only when Sutton was sure the lady was gone did she bunch up the threadbare blanket she'd been sitting on and scream into it.

_STAR WARS. She was in flippin'_ _Star Wars_ _!_

Sutton was torn between being concerned for her immediate situation or going into full on geek mode.

_Holy crap! Did she have the Force?_

Eying the cup on the counter before her, Sutton threw out a hand and tried to will the cup to come to her. The cup ignored her efforts completely. Throwing her hand back down Sutton huffed angrily and then winced.

_Ouch! Ok, still badly sunburned. Also, still can't use the Force._ _Bummer_ _._

Sutton peered at the window slyly, like a kid trying to make sure their parent was out of sight, and then stood up fully. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but she toughened her resolve and her muscles held true. Her first venture was into the other room which held the salve. The skin on her face and arms was on fire and taut.

There was little in the next room to look through in her search. It was a small space that held nothing more than a table, a couple chairs, and a few utensils that looked to be for cooking. If she were to guess, Sutton would say that Lyyr's house was smaller even than her own apartment in New York. (And that was saying something.)

The salve was in a small, rusted circular tin. When Sutton actually saw it, she lost all notions of experiencing much relief. She could not mindlessly slather globs of this on and bask in whatever bliss it brought. The tin was only halfway filled, and it appeared that the stuff was homemade. She sighed in disappointment and sparingly dabbed only a bit on the most painful patches of skin. It helped to soothe, like aloe, but gave off an entirely different scent. It was more musty in comparison to aloe's freshness. Still, it managed to help a bit, and Sutton was able to concentrate on other issues.

_Like how the heck was she going to get back to Marvel earth from a planet in a galaxy_ _far_ _far_ _away_ _?_

Sutton forced herself to take a calming breath, arms motioning up as she took in air and then gesturing back down as she released it.

_Everything was going to be ok. She would get through this. Again._

There wasn't much to see in the rest of the house, if it could be called that, and Lyyr didn't even have any droids for Sutton to poke at. She had the uneasy suspicion that Lyyr was probably a slave here on Tatooine. In the kitchen she found some bread-like substance and nibbled on it a bit. Normally she wouldn't even dare to  _touch_  someone else's food without asking first, but she was starving. And she was pretty sure that Lyyr would have mentioned helping herself to a morsel if memory had struck her. Still, she only ate an unnoticeable amount and couldn't get herself to touch anything else. Sutton also strategically napped.

Really. What else was she supposed to do? She wasn't allowed outside and she didn't even know  _exactly_  when she was in the timeline. The stormtroopers could have gotten here a week ago, or Luke could be zipping around the solar system in the Millennium Falcon. There was just no way for her to currently know.

By the time Lyyr returned that evening, Sutton felt half mad with boredom and worry.

_Why hadn't Tony zapped her back yet? He was disgustingly smart. He had first-hand experience in universe jumping. Where was he?_

Lyyr looked exhausted as she walked through the ' _swooshing_ ' door, but smiled when she saw Sutton as if greeting an old friend.

"Oh good, I was worried you might have left."

Sutton shrugged.

"Well, I don't exactly have anywhere else to go.  _Thank you_ , by the way."

Lyyr smiled softly, her thin lips stretching down and pulling in.

"This planet could use more kindness," she said. "If I cannot find any, I will create some myself."

Sutton sobered instantly. Her shoulders slumped and she bit her lip lightly.

"Well, thank you.  _Again._ "

Lyyr clapped her hands suddenly.

"Let me prepare a meal and then we can discuss your situation. Care to help?"

Sutton jumped to attention, feeling like she'd forgotten her manners.

"Oh, of course! What would you like me to do?"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Loki waited. And he did not have to wait long. If there was ever an effective motivator, it was most assuredly  _doubt_. Doubt and fear. Doubt and fear he knew. He knew how to weave and twist them to his needs. He knew it intimately, how it worked, how it slithered into the deepest crevices of your soul and would freeze and thaw until it cracked everything you blindly hoped for apart. There was a dark beauty in it. And the  _most_  beautiful part? He didn't have to do a thing.

With breakfast came a new guard. This one was a bit more robust, older, with determined eyes and strong jaw. He did not give Loki his tray immediately. Loki gave the guard a rather scathing look; it was rather impressive really. Especially since he was sitting in a chair lazily, legs spread out, by a small table with his chin resting on one hand.

"Apologies," he said through a flash of teeth. "No autographs today, I'm afraid."

The guard gave him a queer look, probably not sure what he meant, but then hardened his gaze. He obviously did not appreciate a Midgard joke when he heard one. Loki sighed as if he had to put up with such abhorrent behavior.

"Am I to starve on your whim, then?"

The guard's lip twitched in a sort of dark amusement.

"Such a death would not be fitting for you, I'm afraid," he said boldly. Loki sat forward in interest, his lips twisting up. The soldier continued on unafraid. "Your guard from last night has claimed that you refuse to share your knowledge about Malekith."

Loki gave the man a quizzical look.

"And this bothers you," he acknowledged. "Why?"

The soldier's fingers flexed around the tray of food as he obviously debated how much to disclose to the prisoner. Finally, he sighed.

"My wife serves as a Seer in the palace. She has told me that when she peers into Asgard's future all she sees is...darkness. As if the universe never was."

Loki lifted both brows, his eyes widening.

"Surely, Odin must then be informed. And immediately."

He watched as the soldier fought back a scowl.

"She has informed the  _Allfather_ ," he agreed.

Loki let his shoulders relax as if in relief.

"Then all will be well," he stated. "Odin is bound to trust the advice of his Seers, if not myself."

The ire in the soldier's eyes only intensified.

"No," he said. "The Allfather claimed that the dark only showed that my wife's abilities had faded to nothing. He also assured us that Asgard's defenses would not even flicker against an assault from the dark elves, should they  _actually_  still exist, and their dated weaponry."

Waving a hand in dismissal, Loki leaned back in his seat.

"Well now, there you have it. Safe as a relic in the vaults themselves."

He was rewarded with the guard grinding his teeth.

"My wife's visions have never been wrong; she is  _not_  losing her Sight."

Loki appeared to take the man's words to heart and deliberate on them. He sat back in his seat, fingers stroking at his chin in concerned thought. His eyes swiveled back to the soldier who had still yet to give him his morning meal.

"I believe you," he finally said. "And yet, it is not  _my_  place to defy Odin."

The soldier frowned at this statement, seeming to notice inconsistencies in Loki's opinions and claims.

"You've defied the Allfather at every turn. You descended upon Midgard to destroy it, and now you return home, a prisoner, and try to claim innocence."

Loki's lips tugged up marginally before his face was once again somber.

"I have never claimed innocence," he said. "Tell me, have you heard- _no._ I would not wish to poison your already fretting mind. You would dismiss it anyway."

The soldier straightened, his eyes hard.

"I can fish out lies better than most you've deceived, I'm sure. Speak your mind and I'll decide on your honesty myself. My worries for Asgard cannot grow more than they already have."

The look Loki wore spoke of his hesitance to give away the information he had dangled before the guard.

"You will only blame me for your worry," he tried. But the solider did not budge. "Fine, if you wish." His next words were hushed and predatory. "Tell me, have you ever heard of the  _Mad Titan_?"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton finished up her exotic meal and sheepishly looked up at her table neighbor. The food hadn't been  _bad_. It was just... _strange_. Different. With one last bite, she put her utensil down on the plate and looked up. Lyyr was finished as well and staring back at her. Sutton tried to give her a small smile.

"It was good," she said. "I've never had anything like it."

Lyyr gave a twist of the lips.

"It is a common dish. Cheap, and easy to make. I have it most nights."

Sutton frowned but didn't comment on it. Lyyr's eyes shifted and Sutton knew that the questions were about to come. She wasn't disappointed.

"Where are you from?"

Sutton sighed and tried to be vague.

"Far away from here. I- I didn't mean to come here, actually."

Lyyr tilted her head back, as if coming to an understanding.

"You are running from something," she said. "I won't pry."

Sutton laughed ruefully.

"More like trying to run  _back_  to something. But I don't know if I'll ever  _be able_  to get back."

Lyyr's face turned sad, and she nodded.

"That's not to say," Sutton continued, "that I'd like the stormtroopers to know I'm here. Like you said, I have nothing to my name except whatever you found on me."

"I wouldn't even turn over my master to the likes of the stormtroopers," Lyyr declared. Her voice lowered to not be overheard. "The Empire has been beating down on all the systems for far too many years."

That perked Sutton up. If the Empire had been established for years already, then maybe it was closer to ending than not. She definitely didn't want to be caught up in the interstellar warfare. No matter how cool this universe was, it was real now. And if there was one thing she'd learned from her adventure with the Avengers, it was that your favorite movie wasn't as great when you were part of the danger. She sincerely did  _not_ want a close encounter of the Vader kind. Her fingers brushed lightly across her throat as the though flickered through her mind. At the realization that Lyyr was still watching, she snatched her hand back down and dismissed her action with an exaggerated sigh.

"That's true," she agreed. "But, can I tell you something? You can't tell anyone else."

Lyyr's eyes shifted nervously. Her hands clenching to fists temporarily before relaxing.

"I-I suppose?"

Sutton gave her a reassuring smile and whispered her next words.

" _The Empire won't last forever._ "

Lyyr jerked back, looking startled.

"Are-are you...are you one of  _them_?"

Sutton knew exactly to whom Lyyr was referring.

"Not exactly," she confessed. "But I know  _of_  a couple."

Lyyr shook her head, pushing away from the table and collecting the dirty dishware.

"We can't be discussing this," she said. "We  _can't._ "

Sutton did not mind changing the subject. She really didn't want to go into specifics on anything anyway. And the last thing she wanted to do was put Lyyr in danger after she'd been so hospitable to her. The characters found on Tatooine usually weren't the type to offer you a warm bed and a meal. They were more apt to stab you in the back and take whatever credits you had. She was insanely blessed that Lyyr had gotten to her first,  _however the woman had managed it._

Sutton got up and helped Lyyr with washing the dishes. It reminded her a bit of home. Her mom would wash and Sutton would dry, Tyrese would get to put away. She missed them more than she ever imagined she could. It seemed to hit her even harder now that she knew she was  _another_  universe removed from home.

_Tony better be working on something! She couldn't survive very long on her own, she just knew it._

Besides, this universe wasn't her home either. Was she stuck here now for a year too? Was she going to be constantly pulled from place to place for the rest of her life?

She shuddered at the thought.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Tony stood in baggage claim and watched as a short, chocolate haired woman struggled with her luggage. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and then stepped forward to grip the mammoth duffel bag and yank it off the conveyor belt. The duffel was stiff, and clinked more than anything. Bulges protruded from underneath and confirmed that the woman had packed more equipment than clothes.

"Oh! Um, thanks, I- _oh._ Mr. Stark!"

Tony gave the woman one of his winning grins.

"Dr. Foster."

Jane Foster blushed under the gaze of  _the_  Tony Stark and pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. Taking a moment to breath, she stuck out her hand.

"It's wonderful to actually meet you. When you called, I didn't think- I never would have guessed-"

"Your Foster Theory is truly remarkable. This really shouldn't be the first time we're meeting."

Jane's eyes shone under the praise and she couldn't seem to control the large grin that spread over her face.

" _Thank you_. And I've actually been wanting to talk with you.  _S.H.I.E.L.D,_ " she said scathingly, "never told me much, but they said something may have happened after the final battle in New York?"

Tony flinched almost unnoticeably.

"That's a bit of an understatement."

It was the only encouragement Jane needed and her hands flew about her as she talked.

"After finding Thor and discovering that there  _were_  other realms, I've been putting all my efforts into building earth's own Einstein Rosen Bridge. And then S.H.I.E.L.D casually mentions you may have  _briefly experienced_  time in another plane?"

Her face was open in wonderment. Tony smirked and started directing her to the doors and the car that waited for them outside.

"I'm not under S.H.I.E.L.D's payroll," he said blandly. "If you have questions, you can ask them. It'd be nice just to tick them off, ruffle their feathers a bit. But that's not exactly why I asked you here."

Jane calmed herself and rearranged her face into a more professional appearance.

" _Right._  You said something about other  _universes_? I'm not quite sure I know what you mean."

"There'll be a debriefing once we get back to the tower; we can all go over the details then."

They finally reached the car, Jane's duffel bag was crammed into the trunk with a bit of difficulty and Tony led her around to the back seats.

" _All of us?_ "

Tony's lip twitched up and he opened the car door for her. Another male figure was already sitting inside.

"Dr. Foster, I'm sure you may be familiar with the work of a Dr. Reed Richards?"


	4. Desperate Decisions, Eccentric Equations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton makes a move.

It had been a week on Tatooine and Sutton was... _coping_. Under Lyyr's care, she'd mostly recovered from her near death experience. Her skin would take more time to heal, but it was not as red, and the peeling had reduced from what it had been the first day. Lyyr had a spare set of clothes to offer and Sutton was wearing her new Star Wars threads while waiting for laundry day. Waiting for washing day in general, actually. Apparently, as she had learned quickly, people did not bathe daily on Tatooine. At least not unless you were fabulously wealthy. The Hutts that lived on the planet could afford it, Lyyr had informed her, but then, they weren't much for bathing in the first place.

Sutton was not pleased with this information. She was used to showering. _Regularly_. And lord knew she needed it now more than ever. But it was hard enough moisture farming on this planet as it was and water was not a commodity. So Sutton kept her complaints to herself. Besides, Lyyr was being such a gracious host, and Sutton was loathe to put her out more than she already had.

But she was starting to get restless. There was an itch inside her to _move_ , to do _something._ To _act!_ She couldn't just sit for a year _waiting,_ _hoping_ without reason that she'd be sent back to Marvel earth. The odds of that were nil as it was. Sutton knew that there really wasn't anyone who could help with her problem, not in this universe anyway, but she still felt like she needed to actually try something before she just gave up and rotted on this god-forsaken planet. Only a week in, and she already despised Tatooine with as much fervor as a local.

It was a stroke of luck that Lyyr came back to her abode at the end of the week and informed Sutton that she was getting a break from work. Her master was closing down his shop for a few days to attend the funeral of a relative, _got on the wrong side of Jabba Lyyr bet,_ and she was getting the time off as well because the master didn't trust her with his money.

"Thinks I'll skim some off the top and finally have enough to buy my freedom," Lyyr snorted. "As if I'd ever give him an excuse to force me back when I finally get free."

Sutton clamped her teeth down and tried not to growl. She still was having a hard time of accepting the fact that slavery was allowed. It was a bad taste in her mouth that she could do nothing about.

"It's not fair," she said. "It's not right that they can do this to you. You are a human being with rights!"

Lyyr just smiled sadly.

"If everyone thinks like you do on your planet, then I'd like to go there."

Sutton refrained from reacting in a way that was suspicious.

"My planet is _extremely_ far away." She tried to deflect the conversation. "But I hear that Naboo is nice."

Lyyr hummed in agreement.

"Yes, I've heard that Alderaan is wonderful too."

Sutton jerked so violently in her chair that she almost fell out of it and face-planted on the floor.

"No! Not Alderaan!"

Lyyr sat up straight, looking perplexed. Her brows furrowed as he peered oddly at Sutton over her tarnished cup.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, I just mean-well, I think Naboo would be the better choice. I've heard...rumor that Alderaan, er, the situation on Alderaan is getting a bit... _explosive._ "

Lyyr's eyes widened at the news and lowered her cup to the table.

"I hadn't heard that. Where are you getting your information?" Her face suddenly paled in remembrance that Sutton had mentioned knowing Rebels and she shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Sutton was relieved.

"Anyway," Sutton pushed on. "Do you think it would be much trouble, since you have a few days off, to go into town and look around a bit? I'm afraid I'm getting a bit stir crazy. Your house is wonderful! I just, I need to see if there's anything to...to-"

"-to help you get back home," Lyyr finished. Her eyes darted off to the side in thought and her face became pinched. After much deliberation, she sighed. "I have a shawl that you can cover your face with. You have clean skin and no evidence of hard labor; the local thugs would notice that. We can go out tomorrow, but you must stay by my side. The locals around these parts aren't to be trifled with."

"That won't be a problem," Sutton agreed, growing excited. "And I've dealt with my share of jerks before, believe me."

Sutton was a bit tense as she walked down the sandy, stall-lined alley. There was the same anxiety she felt when walking alone through busy Seattle, but multiplied. Not only were there shifty, dirty humans to keep an eye on, but there were also aliens of various species whose facial expressions she could not decipher.

Lyyr continued to tug her along whenever she became distracted by a vendor or alarmed by a new alien face. Sutton was not exactly sure where they were going, and she was fairly certain Lyyr didn't either. But she was getting a tour of whatever-main-town-this-was, Tatooine and hoping to catch a glimpse of something useful along the way. Lyyr caught Sutton's attention and pointed at one of the clay domes with shuttered doors.

"That is where I work," she said.

It wasn't much different than the other dusty colored domed buildings, and Sutton just nodded. It was probably a parts shop, as many places on Tatooine were. Sutton didn't think the planet had much else to offer the universe.

Still, the town was as bustling and hot as the movie had made these sorts of towns seem, probably more so. Sutton was still having to force herself to not react when she came upon an alien creature. Computer graphics and puppetry were one thing, but _real_ life was a whole different story.

There were market stalls lined down the road and shady characters stood around trying to make eye contact and sell their wares. Sutton didn't even mind that all but her eyes were blocked by a light tan, scratchy cloth. It helped to hide her reactions that would stand out in a place like this and helped to keep the sand out of her mouth. As she trotted along beside Lyyr, Sutton tried to take the opportunity to be clever and come up with some plan of how to leave this place.

_Ok, find Solo, use his hyper-drive and channel it to-uh... Well, if Obi-wan is still alive, get him to..._

Obviously she was having a hard time thinking of anything relatively useful. She just wasn't Tony Stark or Bruce Banner. She still wasn't sure how they'd gotten everyone to Marvel earth in the first place. After the first few minutes of them trying to give a scientific explanation, she kind of zoned out. _Actually, she'd tried to teach Thor how to play tic-tac-toe during the debriefing._ _Oops._

After a few minutes pointlessly attempting to plot universal escape, followed by a frustrated sigh, Sutton decided to let it go and take in the scenery. Besides, she should probably be a little more on guard around the likes of the people she was wondering through. Scourge of society and all. Lyyr was poised stiffly beside her, though she still had the air of someone who walked this road routinely.

Lyyr led them around a corner and suddenly Sutton paused as she was struck with an odd sense of de ja vu. A familiar noise floated up from a sandy building a ways in front of them.

"Wait!"

She tugged on the back of Lyyr's robe and tried to figure out if the sound was what she suspected it to be. After a few moments and a few irritated glances from Lyyr, Sutton broke out into a grin. Lyyr couldn't see it, of course, but she definitely would be able to notice the way Sutton's eyes crinkled at the corners.

" _Oh man,_ " Sutton chirped with glee. " _The Mos Eisley Catina!_ " She frowned as she looked to Lyyr. "You didn't tell me this was Mos Eisley."

Lyyr shrugged.

"I thought it spoke for itself."

Sutton opened her mouth to protest, thought about it, and then tilted her head in agreement.

"Come on then, I need to see it!"

She grabbed Lyyr's sleeve and made to tug her along as she followed the noise forward, but Lyyr dug her heels into the sand.

"Are you mad, girl? Don't you know the kind of clientele that the Catina draws in?"

"Of course," Sutton rebutted. "Scoundrels, low-lifes, the dregs of society. I still need to see it though. _Oh look!_ That dome thing!"

Lyyr hissed through clenched teeth in displeasure, but was forcefully dragged on by Sutton.

"There are stormtroopers patrolling," she tried to threaten. Sutton shrugged it off.

"I've already seen a few. And I'm wearing this shawl. _And_ we aren't going to give them a reason to stop us."

As they drew nearer to the Catina the crowd grew less and less respectable, if that were possible. Sutton could hear the music clearly now. Her stomach did a flip inside her. She only stopped when she realized that Lyyr was no longer behind her. Turning around, she cast a questioning look at her guide and was met with a wary, stone face.

"I will not go in there," Lyyr told her. "Nothing good ever goes in or comes out."

Sutton couldn't exactly disagree with that statement. There was, of course, always the example of Luke and Obi-Wan, but she wasn't supposed to know about them.

"It's ok," she said. "You don't have to. I just want to take a quick look around, I promise."

Lyyr's face lost even more color.

"Please, you don't belong in a place like that. You'll be killed."

That shot a shock of discomfort down Sutton's spine, but she tried to shake it off. This could be the one hope she had to get home. Maybe, _somehow_ , someone in there could help. Or rather, maybe one of the _main characters_ could help.

Because that's how these things worked, right? In all the stories it's the main characters that are your best chance. It was the longest shot, flimsiest thread of an excuse she'd ever come up with, but it was all she had.

"I just want to look," she repeated. "I probably won't even see what I'm looking for. I'll be right back out. Just...wait a few minutes."

And with that, she disappeared into the bar.

Instantly, it was one of the worst decisions she knew she'd made so far. It was dimmer inside the bar, and she gave her eyes a few seconds to adjust. After they did, she could see why Lyyr refused to enter the place. It smelled odd, like body odor, but not quite human or familiar. It felt like all eyes were on her in one of those cheesy scenes where the music rips to a stop and people gape. Except, these weren't even really people! There were harsh faces, inhuman and threatening peering from the corners of the room and the hair on the back of Sutton's neck was standing on end. She swore she saw a werewolf, Cthulhu, and Satan himself.

The upbeat music that she knew and loved suddenly served to make the situation feel a bit nightmarish. Sutton slunk around the edges of the bar and tried to stay out of sight. She had no money for a drink, _didn't want one even if she did,_ and she figured the owner wouldn't be too thrilled to know that she was taking up space without any intention of being a customer.

Her eyes darted around the room once again, and she spotted the band that anyone on her planet would recognize. She smirked, but then the seriousness of her situation crept back into her mind and she let her lips fall back into a firm line. The bar tender had spotted her when she walked in, probably gave everyone who came in a once over, but left her alone for now. Sutton could only hope his ignoring her would last. It wasn't like there were many ladies in this place, _not that she could tell with some of these things,_ but it seemed like someone like her was bound to draw attention. Sutton bit her bottom lip and tried to focus around the room.

And then she heard it.

Her heart pumped out a furious beat in an instant. And her lips went dry. There, in one of the booths on the side of the wall sat two familiar figures.

_"Yeah, but this time, I've got the money."_

There was a response in an alien language, and Sutton used the time to creep a bit closer. She was nearer the bar now, trying to not make eye contact with the other patrons while she watched the scene unfold.

" _I_ _don't_ _have it_ _with_ _me. Tell Jabba-"_

Her pulse was speeding through her arteries and shooting back up to her heart. From her vantage point she could watch as _Han freaking Solo_ slowly reached for the blaster in the holster on his side.

_"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?"_

This was the part where Greedo threatened Han with Jabba taking the Millennium Falcon.

" _Over my dead body."_

Sutton could see the bartender shooting her suspicious glances out of the corner of her eye. She was immensely grateful for the shawl covering her face.

_"_ _ Yes _ _, I bet you have."_

She couldn't have looked away even if she'd wanted to. This would be the moment to end all and any debates back on earth. This was the moment fans rebelled against Lucas about. This was the part Sutton knew with her whole nerdy heart the director got wrong with the revised edition.

The next few seconds unfolded in slow motion. Greedo's finger didn't even have a chance to pull on the trigger. There was a sharp _pew-_ ing noise, an explosion of smoke, laser lights, and Han Solo sat casually reclined in the booth looking as though for all the world he'd just only watched an obnoxious friend pass out drunk. Sutton stared entranced as he slowly stood and tossed some coinage to the bar tender.

_"Sorry for the mess."_

_Yes! Yes, she knew it! Han shot first!_

As he swaggered out of the bar, Sutton shook herself from her trance and stood to her full height to scurry after him. Bursting out from the dimly lit bar, Sutton blinked against the harsh suns and tried to figure out which way he went.

"Solo!?"

Lyyr was still standing by the entrance when Sutton flew out and the poor woman's face was severely pinched in exasperation.

"What are you _doing!_ "

"I'm trying to find Han Solo! Come on!"  
Sutton caught the sight of a black vest disappearing into an alley and she sped off, Lyyr being forced to follow.

" _Han Solo?_ "

But Sutton was focused on trying to catch up with the space smuggler.

_Had he met up with Luke and Obi-Wan yet? Think, think, think... Yes! The money! That's why he was saying he didn't have it with him. Crap, they'd be leaving soon!_

Where were they going? Which port? Gosh darn it! It was a number, wasn't it? Geesh, how fast could the guy _swagger?_

Sutton didn't know why she felt like she needed to catch up with him. Really, he would be useless. Less than useless, actually. _(He was still pretty scoundrel-y at this point.)_ But it would be a move to do _something_ , and right now Obi-Wan was still alive so there was the tiniest bit of hope to cling to. The only hope of getting off Tatooine at _least._

It could have also been the fact that she really, _really_ wanted to meet them.

Just a little.

[][][][][][][][][][]

Tony was busy. He was _working._ He did not have time to do anything as trivial as answering the door. Jarvis was supposed to be getting rid of the nuisance, but the digital butler kept insisting that the unwelcome guest would not leave. With a growl of annoyance, Tony told his two companions to continue on without him and marched for the front door.

"Peeeepppppeeerrrrr! I'm trying to woooork!"

_[I'm afraid she's out, sir. Something about not being able to handle three of 'them'. I am assuming she meant minds leant towards the sciences.]_

Tony gave a derisive snort and finally reached the front door. Wrenching the door open, Tony sneered up at the intruder. A tall, tanned-skin _boy_ stood on his doorstep looking severe and concerned.

"Mr. Stark, I'm-"

"Late, obviously. _Sheesh_. You'd think with all the training they pump into you, you could at least show up at a decent time."

The young man stammered a bit while blinking.

"I-I'm sorry?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Get in here, Axel. Time is of the essence you know."

Axel Ladino stepped hesitantly into Tony's foyer and arched an eyebrow in question.

"Oh come on, you didn't think I'd hire _another_ one of you without actually knowing it this time. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me- _eh_ \- you get it. Point is, S.H.I.E.L.D would really have to step up their game in order to bypass my systems now."

Axel, to his credit, recovered fairly quickly from realizing that he'd never had a cover with his "boss" in the first place.

"Then you know why I'm here," he said. "S.H.I.E.L.D detected a high power surge near your California home and Sutton's been missing. Where is she?"

Tony tensed a bit before waving the kid to follow him down to the lab.

" _Gone_ ," he said snippily.

"Mr. Stark," Axel butt in, "it's my given mission to ensure that Ms. Regan stays safe at all times and I need your cooperation to-"

"I'm not hiding her from you, kid," Tony clarified. "I mean that the 'high power surge' that happened _in_ my house, _do you guys need help calibrating your spectrometers?,_ _was_ Sutton."

Tony began punching in his code to the lab as Axel raised his hands in a halting gesture.

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you _mean_ it was _Sutton?"_

"I mean exactly that. Sutton is gone, _poof_ , vamoosed. No longer in this universe. Why did you think I'd holed myself up here recently with two of the next best minds on the planet? Not that Dr.s Foster and Richards and I couldn't have a great time on our own, but I'm a man in a serious relationship now. Don't you read the tabloids?"

Axel, despite his professional training, couldn't help but stammer in the face of such a startling proclamation.

"Bu-but, I'm supposed to _protect_ her. I-is she, she-"

"We don't know exactly what's happened to her," Tony admitted grudgingly. "But she had a lot of power trapped in that shrimpy body. I'm sure she's ok, if she can just keep her head on straight until we find her."

Axel sent a sidelong glance at Tony as he joined him in the middle of the lab.

"You've met Sutton, right? She kind of needs someone to look after her."

Tony shot the newcomer an unappreciative look.

"I've known her longer than you," he said snidely. He turned suddenly, leaning one hip against a lab table. "You seem a bit more interested in Sutton's wellbeing than necessary." Tony crossed his arms over his chest and glared up at Axel. "Surveillance footage shows you putting in a little overtime in trying to win her over to liking you. Tell me, how's it feel to fail so bad-"

" _Tony."_ Jane Foster cut off the tirade before it could get any uglier. "We need to be focusing, _remember?_

Taking the woman's advice, Tony scoffed derisively, shooed Axel to a chair in the corner, and joined the other doctors back at the main work station. They were utilizing all of the technology that the lab provided in order to try and crack the inter-dimensional traveling code. Tony had done it once already, obviously, but searching multiple universes for a single soul was a bit more complicated. They didn't even know what the frequencies for other universes were exactly. Jane Foster, for all it was worth, was practically salivating over all the information Tony had pulled up from their first trip. Reed Richards was slightly more subdued, but no less passionate, in his own corner. He was a younger man with dark hair and a youthful face, freshly out of college and with more degrees than should have been possible.

Reed glanced up at the newly arrived S.H.I.E.L.D recruit, quickly nodding in acknowledgement, before going back to his research. Jane eyed the Latino with distrust.

"You're actually going to let the S.H.I.E.L.D agent stay," she asked. In a whisper to Tony she continued, not taking eyes off the young man. "They haven't proven to be very trustworthy. Last time we met up they _stole_ all my research, _and_ they let Erik be taken by Loki."

"He won't be a problem," Tony dismissed. "And don't worry, Dr. Foster, your work is safe here. This is a ' _no-touchy zone'_ for all visiting personnel. Besides," he added in a quieter tone, "we'll save time if we don't have to keep kicking him out of the tower every couple minutes. I've read the kid's file. He's persistent, thinks himself the noble sort."

Jane didn't look convinced, but as it wasn't her lab she didn't have much room to argue. Instead, she shot the agent a skeptical glare and joined Reed on the other side of the room.

"There are rules, though," Tony dictated to Axel. "Visiting hours and confidentiality agreements and whatnot."

"You kind of got rid of any competition Stark Industries had when you took Hammer out of business," Axel noted.

Tony could help but smirk in a smarmy fashion.

"Hammer was never real competition in the first place."

The three scientists continued on in their work completely ignoring the man in the corner. The data was too fascinating and the problem too complicated to waste on worrying over his attention. Tony flicked a screen up in front of him and scanned through the numbers. He pointed out a series of numbers that scrolled across the screen.

"That's her specific biometric frequency," he said as the other two doctors moved closer to observe. "You can see were it differentiates from ours _right..._ here."

Jane's face was twisted in thought.

"So that's where we should be honing in our search," she said. "By these two examples, we can assume that the basis of all molecular structure is the same, except for a uniqueness that is specific to a certain universe. Something like a serial code."

"Except," Reed cut in, "the big detractor here, is we don't know our variables. Unless we start inserting random combinations into this section, we have no idea just were to look. If we go by guessing, we could be wasting our time looking through space that doesn't even exist."

Turning, Reed pulled up a new screen which held the data Tony had collected after Sutton's disappearance.

"This is the most substantial information we really have to go off of."

One of the graphs was a 3-D reconstruction of the lab at the scene, with rings going out to signify the power surge that had happened.

"Look at it," Reed continued. "That was one of the largest power surges probably ever recorded. It obviously got S.H.I.E.L.D's attention. Something of this magnitude is sure to leave ripples, especially to wherever she travelled to. We just need to find out how to trace them."

"Right," said Tony a little flatly. "Jarvis?"

_[Sir, I believe that this is a bit beyond my programming.]_

"Oh, don't be so humble; it doesn't suit you."

He could have sworn that the digital AI actually sighed.

_[I will do what I can, sir.]_

"That's more like it."

[][][][][][][][][][]

Sutton had finally caught up with the vested scallywag and was currently sneaking behind him towards the shipping docks. Lyyr was indignant with confusion by her side. She had attempted to demand answers several times now, each attempt being rebutted by Sutton telling her to _'shhh'._

They were at the station now, and Sutton could feel her heart pumping just beneath her skin. The kinds of people and aliens hanging around this area were especially shifty looking. And both women weren't completely avoiding stares. Sutton turned to Lyyr, eyes beginning to shine guilt.

"Hey," she said. "You don't have to come any further."

"We should not even be here! Do you know the kinds of men that hang around these parts?"

Sutton sighed and rubbed at her face.

"I know. I am so grateful for everything you did for me this last week. And if I ever get the opportunity I will pay you back. But, I'm planning on getting on that ship."

Lyyr looked stricken, her face paling and her arm shot out to grasp Sutton at the elbow.

"Do you know what smugglers do to stowaways? You'll be shot out the airlocks if you're caught! And you're sure to be!"

Sutton patted Lyyr on the hand and gave her a comforting smile.

"I know I'll be fine. I just have to do this, Lyyr, or I'll never leave this place. Really," she said, "this is my only hope. I can't pass it up."

Lyyr did not look like she'd be agreeing any time soon. Sutton did not have time to convince her, probably never would be able to anyway. All she knew was that the Millennium Falcon would be leaving soon and if she missed it, she may as well kiss any hope of getting back to Marvel earth goodbye.

_Unless Tony got his butt in gear and teleported her home, but that wasn't looking promising so far._

She pulled the shawl away from her mouth to better talk to Lyyr without feeling like there was a barrier between them. Some of her hair escaped it's confines because of the move and sprung up around her face.

"Look, they'll be leaving soon, and I really have to get on board. I just-" As she pushed some hair back, her hand brushed against her ear, and she had a revelation. "Is gold valuable on Tatooine," she asked abruptly.

"I-I, what? Yes, it's valuable everywhere, I suppose. Especially here, where there is little natural resources."

Sutton grinned and then worked to remove both of her earrings.

"Perfect, then I'm giving you these."

Two small gold hoop earrings were transferred from her person and forced into Lyyr's hand. She'd forgotten all about them as she'd been focusing on actually surviving.

"They're real gold; I had got them for work," Sutton told her. "And if you're smart about it, you can probably get enough from them for your freedom and a bit extra. I mean, I don't actually know your current gold rates, but-"

Once again Lyyr looked taken back and dumbfounded.

"No! You could buy passage with these! I can't-"  
Sutton closed the woman's fingers over the gift and smiled, still conscious of her dwindling timeline.

"I insist. It's the least I can do after you saved my life. And I can't leave here knowing I could have helped you and didn't. If you don't keep them, I'll just toss them out anyway. They are all but useless to me right now."

Lyyr's eyes flooded with tears and she sucked in a ragged breath. It seemed she was speechless as her mouth opened and closed a few times without uttering a syllable. Her fingers tightened around the two small pieces of jewelry and she clutched them to her chest.

"I, I can't think of what to say."

"It's just like you said," Sutton reminded her. "Sometimes you have to make your own kindness in this world. Now, will you be ok getting back home?"

Lyyr nodded rapidly and then pulled Sutton into a fierce hug.

"I don't know where you are from, or why you are so gracious, but I will never forget you and what you did for me," she promised.

Sutton hugged her back.

"Same here. _Thank you._ "

Breaking away, Sutton gave one last nod goodbye to the woman who had saved her life when she had no reason to, and then turned and darted off into the crowd. Her eyes were a little moist themselves, but she was able to blink it back. She had a mission. She still had to sneak aboard the Millennium Falcon without drawing attention to herself and before the stormtroopers arrived.

_Easy-peasy. Right?_

It was only when she didn't have Lyyr by her side that Sutton realized what a dangerous area she was in. This was the Mos Eisley space port! Home to all sorts of scum and villainy! And it really showed. Once again, Sutton was thankful for the cloth she could use in covering her face. After a few turns, _Sutton was trying very hard to remember what their route to the dock looked like in the movie_ , she spotted a set of stairs with a couple of familiar figures at the bottom.

Slower now, she tip-toed down the short flight of stairs and hovered in the shadowed doorway. Chewbaca was following warily behind a Han Solo who was placating a hideous looking Jabba the Hutt. Sutton pressed a hand against her mouth to stifle any gag reflex. He had been disgusting in the films, but here he was actual flesh and slime. It was like a giant booger slug! How could Solo be okay with standing so close to him?

Shaking her head, Sutton refocused and eyed the entrance to the ship. It was not going to be easy getting in, at least not at this particular moment. Jabba had brought cronies with him, and Sutton was surprised to see Boba Fett by his side. She'd forgotten that he'd been in this movie. She wondered what he looked like under his helmet...

It was a fairly short discussion before Jabba waved his henchmen away and left the docking station, luckily in a different direction than where she hid. Han Solo and Chewie had disappeared inside the _Falcon_ and Sutton wondered if she should make a break for it. If she waited, then Luke and Obi-Wan would show up followed shortly by stormtroopers. Who knew if she'd make it on after that.

Taking a deep, determined breath, Sutton shot out from her hiding spot and darted for the stairs. As quietly as she could, she sprinted up them and darted to the side of the ship that didn't have voices echoing down it. Her awe of being inside the infamous spaceship had to be put on hold as she struggled to find a hiding spot. She wasn't exactly sure what rooms were what, after all, or even which ones would be used less. Deciding to go on instinct and pray for luck, she saw a small set of doors and hit the button beside them. It looked like a small storage compartment and she grinned widely as she dove inside.

_Perfect! This was going better than expected!_

It shouldn't be too long now before they left this loathsome planet. Sutton was ecstatic until she remembered one little detail. They did not make it to Alderaan. They, in fact, made it to the _Death Star_. Her face paled with the realization and her heart once again beat against her ribs.

_Crap! Out of the frying pan into the fire, it seemed._

But what choice did she have? Stay on Tatooine? Get skin cancer and try and survive in one of the worst areas this universe had to offer? At least if she was going to be trapped in this universe, she could find a nicer planet.

_But she wasn't going to be stuck here; she wasn't! Tony would find a way to get her back. Or she'd figure something out herself._

It wasn't long before the silence and peace was disturbed by the unmistakable sound of blaster fire. The ship shook harshly and she knew that the ground was no longer supporting them. The only downside of this hiding spot was that the option of strapping down with a safety belt was not available to her. Their escape wasn't what one would consider... _smooth._ Sutton tried her best to find something to cling to in order to ground her. There was some piping along one of the walls and she wrapped an arm around it and held on for dear life. Luckily, the room wasn't huge so there wasn't much space to bounce around, and the rough take off and race away from Tatooine didn't last too entirely long. They finally seemed to level out and begin cruising as the ship settled. Sutton released her death grip on the pipes next to her and sighed.

_Ok, now she just had to figure something out._

Despite her initial mission to meet these people in the first place, Sutton was hesitant to actually reveal herself. She was, after all, a liability. And regardless of her assurances to Lyyr, she knew Han wouldn't be pleased with finding a stowaway.

But he wouldn't _throw her out the airlock,_ or anything drastic like that. _He wouldn't._

The room did a decent job of blocking out sound, so it wasn't until voices were almost right on top of her that she heard anything. A gurgling roar sounded out in the hall and Sutton startled and pushed herself back further into the little corner.

_"Well,_ _ I _ _didn't open it. So, unless you or the droids brought on some extra cargo, I say we_ _check it out_ _."_

Sutton waited for the voices to pass, waited for the faint footsteps to fade off, but it was quiet. She tried to breath silently through her mouth.

Suddenly, there was a _"swoosh"_ and the small door to her compartment opened. Her eyes widened as she came face-to-face with a kneeling Han Solo, the Wookie stood, unreadable, behind him. The smile that stretched across the smuggler's face was neither humorous or welcoming.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! Hope you enjoyed the update!


	5. Space, The Final, Oh Wait-No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton is in space. Han Solo is a scoundrel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that! On time! Wow, I am proud of me. Let me know what you think!

Sutton stared, wide-eyed and stunned, at Han Solo until he reached into the compartment and yanked her out. She then came to whatever senses she actually still possessed and responded as defensively as anyone who'd been caught trying to bum a ride across the galaxy would. Pulling against his hold, she scowled at the smuggler.

" ' _What do we have here?'_ That was literally the most cliché thing you could have said!"

Solo's grim smile morphed quickly into a frown and he proceeded to drag her, unwillingly, down the hall.

"Well, I apologize if my wit is below your standards, but we'll see who gets the last laugh after I jet you out the airlock!"

"Hey! That's not even funny!"  
Sutton attempted to jerk her arm from his grasp and wiggle away. Apparently she was giving him too much trouble because he let out a grunt of frustration and tossed her backwards.

"Chewie, restrain the twerp, will ya?"

Sutton fell back onto what felt like a furry wall and was promptly encased by two hairy arms.

"Hey!"

She was lifted fully off the ground, her feet dangling in the air, as she squirmed with her arms trapped at her sides.

"Let me go!"

Chewbaca let out a short roar that she was unable to decipher so she stilled, feeling wary. Looking up at the Wookie, she gave him her attempt at her most charming smile.

" _Chewie_ , did you know that you have to be the most handsome Wookie I've ever met? I've never seen a more shiny coat!"

Chewbaca let out a noise that didn't sound particularly hostile and Han shot a glare over his shoulder as he marched on.

"Don't _fall_ for it. She's trying to butter you up. It's what women _do._ "

"I take personal offense to that! I'll have you know that I'm one of the worst liars on my planet; there's no way I could fake such a compliment!"

She was still being carried by Chewbaca as they made their way down a short hall until they entered the main hold. Sutton perked up as she recognized it as the area where Obi-Wan attempted to train Luke and Chewie played some form of Space Chess. It was only as they began to pass through the room that Sutton restarted trying to kick up a fuss.

"Hey! Where are we going? Put me down!"

"You're getting tied up in the freight room, you free loader. No one bums a ride from _Han Solo_."

When it appeared that he was quite serious about keeping her locked away in a cargo area, Sutton intensified her struggling. But, _blast it,_ if this Wookie didn't have bones of steel then she didn't know what did!

"Please! You can't do this to me! I just had to get off that planet!"

"Yeah, if I gave a free ride to someone every time I heard _that_..."  
"Help! Help!"

Han Solo turned abruptly and pointed a finger at her.

"Ain't nobody here that's gonna help-"

"What's going on here?"

Luke and Obi-Wan rounded the corner and joined them in the hallway. Sutton grinned ecstatically.

_"Hey,_ what's the meaning of this," Luke complained. "I thought it was just us."

Han Solo rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in frustration.

" _Sorry,_ I forgot to mention someone had _snuck_ on board."

Luke was frowning and appeared agitated, but Sutton's attention was caught by the look Obi-Wan was piercing her with. He was staring at her in a sort of confused wonder that made her uncomfortable. Sutton attempted to divert his attention.

"Oh thank goodness! You two seem like sensible people, tell him he can't keep me in the cargo bay!"

Han Solo sneered at her.

"You aren't exactly helping yourself, are you?"

C-3PO and R2-D2 suddenly rounded the corner as well to join them and Sutton squeaked in ecstatic surprise.

"Oh! The droids! Awesome! Look at you two!"

Luke, _poor thing_ , appeared absolutely flabbergasted.

"Who _are_ you?"

"Oh, um..." Did she make up a scifi sounding name she'd just forget, or just let them think her especially foreign? "Uh, _Sutton?"_

"I think the more important question is why she thought she could hitch a ride on _my_ ship. Now, _come on, Chewie._ "

Sutton kicked out her legs uselessly and made a noise of protest.

"Oh my gosh, you're such a jerk right now!"

Behind the Wookie, Sutton heard Obi-Wan speak up.

"Hold on a second."

Solo's shoulders tensed up and he seemed to be just about _done_ as he swiveled around. He raised one brow sardonically as he waited for the old Jedi to continue.

"I believe our agreed upon fare was more than enough to cover _one_ extra person."

"But she wasn't part of the agreement, _was she_?" He grinned as if he'd won the argument with that statement, but Obi-Wan remained un-phased.

"Just consider her to be _'No-Questions'_."

Sutton jumped on the opportunity.

"That's totally my last name, actually! Sutton _Noquest-_ "

"Shut up," Han snapped. "You're one smart remark from being thrown out to space."  
Sutton slumped, still being held by Chewbaca, and pouted.

Scowling, Luke opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder.

"Consider the girl in our care."

Han tilted his head back, eyes calculating.

"I want an extra thousand."

Sutton could actually see Luke's face redden in outrage. Obi-Wan's gaze hardened.

"Seventeen is more than fair for only three human passengers."

Han was not pleased by this statement, but, _oddly_ , relented.

"Fine. Drop her, Chewie."

Despite the _"drop"_ part of the order, Chewie lowered her gently and Sutton rewarded him with a grin.

"Thanks!"

"But if _anything_ is missing, or broken, or _moved_ , it's on you two! And I'll expect to be compensated."

Han jabbed a finger at both Luke and Obi-Wan before he turned on his heel.

" _Come on._ "

Sutton could hear him grumbling all the way down the corridor.

Chewie followed their pilot back down the hall to, _Sutton could only speculate_ , the cockpit. Dusting herself off, Sutton fidgeted awkwardly in front of two big scifi icons.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," she said shyly. "I was a little nervous there for a second."

Obi-Wan was still observing her sharply, brow slightly furrowed, as Sutton moved to take a seat. Luke was eyeing her in curiosity as if she were some creature from another planet.

_Well, actually, now that she thought about it..._

The two men joined her in sitting and it was quiet for a moment as if they were all waiting for someone else to speak first.

"So... _Sutton?_ " She nodded in confirmation that that was indeed her name. Luke continued on. "What possessed you to sneak aboard this con man's ship?"

Sutton laughed awkwardly as she scratched at her hair which she'd finally freed from her shawl.

"Well, like I told _him_ , I had to get off Tatooine."

"Quite a risk to take," Obi-Wan commented. He watched her reaction to the statement and Sutton was very conscience of it. She shrugged noncommittally and tried to remain casual.

"I wouldn't have had another chance; I had to."

It was obvious the remark sparked some confusion, but Obi-Wan disregarded it for another question.

"What planet are you from?"

Sutton's mind stuttered. Lyyr had already make it clear that she didn't fit the Tatooine stereotype.

_Fake it 'til you make it! Lie, lie, lie!_

"Uh, uh, _Naboo_."

"Naboo," Obi-Wan confirmed flatly.

Sutton tried to give a grin but it turned into one of those 'obviously-guilty-grimace' things.

"Where about," Luke asked. Sutton's nostrils flared briefly.

"Uh, the country. A small town, you probably wouldn't have ever heard of it."

_Oh gosh. She did not just..._

"Well," the Jedi interrupted her train of thought, "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Luke Skywalker."

Sutton gave them each a little wave. She spared one for the two droids as well, and C-3PO returned it with an awkward bow while Artoo chirped cheerfully. After introductions, she sat back and watched as Obi-Wan attempted to guide Luke in using the Force. He took out a lightsaber, _the_ lightsaber, and Sutton gasped in delight. She was a little jealous, actually. She'd, _unwillingly_ , come all this way and she still couldn't even use the Force.

_What a rip off._

Luke had swung the _beautiful, magnificent_ lightsaber a few times when Han Solo reappeared with Chewie to wait out their arrival. Briefly, she wondered if she should mention watching out for the new asteroid field that was once a planet, but decided against it. Han was still grumpy with her, it seemed, and Sutton found that unfortunate. Besides, it would only raise questions about how she was privy to such information.

"It won't be too long 'til we get there," he informed them.

Sutton felt her stomach clench at the reminder that soon an entire _planet_ would be decimated. She swallowed dryly and tried to think of something else.

_There was nothing she could do about it anyway._

Still, she was starting to feel more uncomfortable about it and drew absentmindedly on the table with her finger.

Obi-Wan was busy telling Luke to _feel the Force, let it flow through_ him, and Sutton's heart rate was picking up. Her palms felt sticky. Her eyes flickered from person to person (and droid), and her stomach dropped, because they _didn't even know_.

_Why did she care so much? She didn't even know these people. Didn't know anyone on Alderaan even._

But they _were_ people. They were real and they were-

Obi-Wan suddenly looked stricken and Sutton blinked rapidly.

"...what's wrong?"

"I...felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

_Terrible, indeed. Worse than terrible. Horrific._

Sutton couldn't make eye contact with anyone. If not for Obi-Wan's statement, she wouldn't have even been able to tell when the planet was gone. That was enough to prove she had no Force in her.

The Jedi Master was actually staring at her anew as Han Solo told them they'd be arriving around _'oh-two-hundred hours'_.

"What is it," she finally asked, wanting to know what his issue was. "Is there something on my face?"

The Jedi only frowned more openly.

"You are a strange one," he said. "You are void of the Force completely. Like an empty pocket of space. It reminds me of a disturbance that happened just recently, actually."

Luke put the lightsaber down and moved closer, his eyes squinting in confusion.

"But I thought you said the Force makes up everything."

"It does," Obi-Wan confirmed after a moment of thought. "Except for her. Where are you actually from, child?"

Han snorted at the idea of the Force, _hokey old religion._ He left afterwards with Chewie to prepare for their arrival.

Sutton was quiet. She couldn't quite tell them she was from another dimension! A dimension that knew of this world, to top it off! But then she remembered _when_ they were and tried to go for the distraction option.

"I think it's more important that we get to the cockpit right now."

She got up herself to urge them along; Luke and Obi-Wan followed as the droids watched.

Han Solo turned in his seat when he heard footsteps behind him, and Sutton was met with a sneer.

"Oh no, not _you_. Non-paying passengers don't get to be in the cockpit."

"Ok, that's just rude!

Sutton huffed indignantly as she stood in the back; Obi and Luke squeezed in front of her. But she was saved by the distraction that arriving in the middle of an asteroid belt provided, and she held on to the wall as Han expertly navigated them through it. But he wasn't happy about it.

"Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts."  
Luke learned forward in order to see better out the window.

"What's going on?"

"Our position is correct, except... _no_ Alderaan!"

Sutton kept quiet as the others panicked. Obi-Wan was the only other one not crying out in confusion. At Luke's questioning of how it was possible to blow away a planet, he finally spoke.

"Destroyed by the Empire."

And then the TIE Fighter was pointed out. Sutton had to bite her tongue to fight the urge to shout at them to turn around _now!_ But Leia was on the Death Star and they needed her.

It was as Obi-Wan announced _"that's no moon"_ that Sutton really started to feel sick. Her mouth went dry in a flash and she tried to lick her lips.

"Hey, Obi-Wan?"

The Jedi was a bit preoccupied with their situation, but Sutton pressed on.

"Let's pretend, _just for funsies,_ that Darth Vader is on board that thing. Would my lack of Force be interesting to him?"

"Have you not realized, _twerp_ , that we're in a bit of a crisis here?"

For what it was worth, Obi spared her a quick glance.

"Why would you be interesting to him? You have no power, and to him, therefore have no use."

Sutton sighed a little bit, though she tried to hide it.

"Oh, good. Ok."

"This is seriously bad! Chewie! I said to lock in the auxiliary power!" Han Solo interrupted her happy moment with his own severe negativity. "I can't pull out of this, we're going to have to think of a new plan to _not_ get ourselves killed!"

"You don't handle stress very well, do you," Sutton remarked.

_(Of course, if Tony had been around to hear her comment, he might have had something to say about her own stress handling techniques.)_

Han was frantically flipping switches as he came to the dreaded conclusion that there really wasn't a way out of this. He only snarled at her in response to her jibe.

Soon enough, Sutton's stomach was sinking farther and farther into her toes just like everyone else's as they glided into a docking bay in the Death Star. Her eyes were glued out the window despite it all. She shared Luke's _"very bad feeling about this"_ , but she also wasn't going to miss out on gawking.

The Death Star was more than she ever imagined it would be. The sheer size of it was mind-boggling, and terrifying quite frankly. Inside it was grays and whites and _oh-so_ sleek. It just so happened to also be crawling with Imperial soldiers.

Her examination of the inside of the station didn't last long, as Han Solo rushed them out of the cockpit and out into the hall. Off the floor he lifted a disguised panel and urged them down beneath into a secret holding area. As Sutton crawled down to join the rest he mumbled under his breath something about, _"should just leave her up here"._

Sutton didn't appreciate the comment at this point in her life, honestly.

She barely dared to breath as they all huddled under the floor. The sounds of tapping boots on metal echoed overhead, and Sutton reminded herself that the stormtroopers didn't find them in the hidden cargo space. It only marginally comforted her.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap._

The "running around the Death Star" portion of this adventure was coming up soon and she wasn't looking forward to it.

Well, it was kinda cool, but it still terrified her.

_If she died, she was going to be totally ticked off._

The footsteps eventually faded, Sutton could hear the muffled murmur of static voices. Han Solo hefted the panel up off the floor. Quietly they emerged from the hiding space and Luke complimented their pilot on having such a convenient space. Sutton rolled her eyes though she smirked good-naturedly as well.

_It seemed that Luke was a bit naïve to the idea of smuggler's habits._

And then they came up with a thrown together plan for infiltrating the Death Star. Sutton had to once again remind herself that the plan actually worked, because it was one of those ideas that should not have even gone to plan. The scanner guys were coming soon, and Sutton bit her lip.

"I think I'll just stay on the Falcon," she said. "I'll hide down there again and wait for you all to come back. I'd just get in the way anyway."

"Oh no you don't," Han Solo said. He grabbed her by the back of her tunic, pulled her closer to the group and didn't release her. "You stowed away on my ship, so you can share in the risks. Besides, I don't trust you being alone. Probably 'd fly off the first sign that the tractor beam was down."

Luke raised a brow.

"Come on, does she really look like she knows how to fly?"

" _Shh,"_ Obi shushed them. "We need to focus."

The two scanner guys finally appeared up the stairs and Luke and Han were quick to ambush them. As soon as the Imperial employed men were out of direct line of sight from the troops out in the hangar, Han and Luke yanked them to the side and delivered quick, deft punches. They then feigned the need for assistance and drew two stormtroopers up as well.

Sutton didn't get to wear one of the suits.

With the suits acquired, they were able to level up and gain control of the security room. But the smugglers weren't exactly quiet about it.

"You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight," Luke complained, "it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here!"

Han had a snarky reply, but Sutton had followed the droids off to the side near the computers and let the scene play out the way it was supposed to. She really couldn't mess this up. A tiny, sneaky little voice in her head told her _that was boring. She could make this work whole situation out better._ But she was responsible and an adult and she pushed that voice to the back of her head.

The droids found the main power to the tractor beam and Obi-Wan decided he had to go alone.

It was as Obi-Wan suddenly turned towards the door to leave that Sutton snapped out of her shielded thoughts.

Oh. _Oh._

She darted away from the droids and threw herself at the Jedi. Gripping him tight around his waist, she forced a hug on him. Obi stiffly stood as it all happened, no doubt confused.

"I heard stories about the Jedi growing up," she said looking up at him. "They were some of my favorite. Thank you."

Obi-Wan's eyes turned solemn and he patted her on the head. Sutton let go of him, finally remembering that he had no idea who she was or what he was to her world.

"There is still hope for the universe yet," he told her. He tilted his head to the side as he studied her once again. "But something tells me you already know that."

Sutton's lip curved upwards slightly, but she said nothing in reply.

"Luke," he then said. Luke looked up, eyes bright, to _Ben._ "The Force is with you always."

That seemed to uplift Luke more than anything else. Sutton felt terrible that he'd lose a mentor so suddenly and shockingly.

They all watched as Obi-Wan left the room to go turn off the tractor beam that was holding the Millennium Falcon in the docking bay. Movement behind her drew Sutton's attention away from the door and she looked back to find Han leaning back in a chair and propping his legs up on the control panels. Sutton looked back to Luke and rolled her eyes in shared exasperation. Luke returned the gesture and then gave her a sideways grin. It was then that R2-D2 started beeping and chirping excitedly, shuffling on his little legs.

"What is it," Luke questioned. C-3PO looked up and looked as surprised as a droid with a fixed face could.

[ _I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir. He says 'I found her', and keeps repeating, 'She's here.']_

Sutton couldn't help the bubble of excitement that bubbled up from her gut.

_Finally! Another girl in the group!_

"Princess Leia!"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

" _Did you hear?"_

" _The Allfather has dismissed all council-"_

" _I heard it from a palace guard himself!"_

" _-Dark Elves are waiting to strike-"  
"-heard the Mad Titan took hold of his mind-"_

" _-they'll strike at The Convergence, mark my words."_

" _Will Odin do nothing?"_

Asgard was churning. Rumors from the palace were pouring out the gates and seeping out into the cities beyond like a poison. With their king aging and Thor out amongst the realms, the threat of Malekith and his army hung heavy on everyone's mind.

If Thor had worried enough about it to bring it up to the king, then they should all be concerned.

_"The only royal who can do anything is locked away."_

_"He deserves it!"_

_"He was controlled!"_

_"-the Ice Giants?"_

_"Enemies!"_

_"Traitor!"_

_"-misguided-"_

_"He cannot do any less than Odin does now."_

The people of Asgard were growing bold. Not even the threat of Heimdall's gaze quieted their murmurs.

Frigga stood with a hand on her husband's shoulder as he sat hunched over a gleaming gold desk.

"You must do _something_ , husband. The people are working themselves into a frenzy of fear and rumor."

Odin kneaded at his wrinkled brow, his face dark.

"Rumor begun by that _petulant boy,_ no doubt," he spat.

Frigga's fingers dug into the fabric on his shoulder warningly.

"That _boy_ is our _son_."

"He holds no love for family in his heart. Except, perhaps, for you," Odin acknowledged. His good eye had not missed Loki's crestfallen face at hearing that he would not see his mother again.

"You cannot deny that it is not beneath him to attempt an uprising."

Frigga hummed lightly in the back of her throat.

"He is certainly clever enough for it."

Odin whirled around and glared fiercely.

"Just where do your loyalties lie, woman?"

She gave the man before her a stern look. It was clear that Loki's fall from grace had effected the man deeply. He was not as he had been before. Still, she was uncertain if her husband was just cutting himself off emotionally from their adopted son, or if this was all simply revealing his true feelings. She sincerely hoped that it wasn't the latter.

"You know I stand behind you, so don't look at me so sharply," she scolded. "I am simply pointing out that we raised a clever son. One with a mind for politics. Perhaps it should have been recognized earlier."

Odin waved off her statement with a flutter of his hand. Turning away from her, he went back to examining the papers on his desk.

"It does not matter," he said. "Thor is the first born regardless of _feelings_ or aptitude _._ As well as the true heir."

"That is precisely what I am speaking of," Frigga argued. "Thor and you cast large shadows and he felt it! And now he lashes out in retribution."

"And you would condone it?"

"Never," she reassured. "What Loki has done to Midgard and elsewhere is utterly wrong. But he is still so young, barely over a thousand, and who knows what associations he had dealings with during his self-imposed exile? He _needs_ us now more than ever. We are a _family,_ Odin."

Odin was quiet as her words settled in the air. By all appearances he remained unmoved.

"He has murdered innocents and now seeks to destroy the peace on Asgard. He will remain as he is. That is my final decision."

The queen of Asgard straightened to her full height, dress glimmering in the evening sun, as she gazed in frustrated disappointment at her spouse.

"If you do not even attempt to reconcile with our son, then I truly do fear for this realm."

"He is in our most protected dungeons. Even he can do little confined as such."

Frigga's face grew sad then. Her next words hurt her.

"And yet look outside. Look at the state of our people. And all after just a few months time."

Odin didn't respond, and Frigga sighed as she moved towards the door which lead out to the main hall. With one final look back, she noted that her spouse still refused to acknowledge her words.

Sometimes, there was just no talking sense into that man. She could only pray that it wouldn't mean chaos for their kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, on ffn I've begun taking requests if you have a universe you'd like to see Sutton explore. Or if you have a character you'd like to see her interact with, etc. (As long as I'm not already planning on including said universe in the canon story.) So I'll open that up to you guys as well! I have a couple written already that I'll post sometime soon.
> 
> Thank you!


	6. The Agents, the Shield, and the Trash Masher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton runs around the Death Star and probably screams a lot. Scientists have their science interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say this chapter hasn't ever been my favorite. But I'm way too lazy to redo it now. Hopefully it's passable for you lot.

She shouldn't have been carrying so many books. After all, Tony provided more than enough information on the computers they were using; but these were from her own collection and she knew how to navigate through them more fluidly. Maybe the quaintness of that small town in New Mexico had rubbed off on her too much. Sometimes, though, she just enjoyed turning a page made of actual paper. None-the-less, she really shouldn't have decided to collect them all at once. One misplaced step had her books tumbling around her and Jane was bracing herself for an impact with the floor. Before she could finish her magnificent face-plant, someone caught her about the waist and pulled her back up to her feet.

"Whoa, there, Dr. Foster. We need that brain of yours intact."

Jane steadied herself before quickly brushing off the hands at her waist and turning around. Agent Axel Ladino smiled impishly down at her and she fought back an flustered frown.

"Thanks." She didn't make eye contact.

If her attitude bothered Axel at all, he didn't show it. He hadn't shown any irritation at the poor reception to his presence the entire time he'd been in the lab.

"Let me help you with those," he said instead. He began to collect her books off the floor and Jane raced to assist. She sighed as they transferred all her reference material to the destination she'd intended.

"Thanks again," she murmured. Axel grinned.

"Not a problem, Dr. Foster."

He left her alone as she settled down with her books. Tony was out attending a mandatory, _as Pepper described it,_ company meeting and Reed was immersed in some numbers across the room. Every once in awhile she could see him swipe some data irrelevant to their mission onto a personal device, and she rolled her eyes but left him alone. She couldn't blame the kid, really. Besides, she had her own reading to do without disturbing him.

_At least Axel knew better than to bother her while she was researching._

Later, Jane Foster glared at the data on the monitor before her. The math just wasn't adding up like it should. Tony was asking them to do the _impossible._ But, then again, that's what everyone had said about her now confirmed Foster Theory. Her chest still filled with pride at the thought of showing all those other scientists wrong.

_So this had to be possible too, right?_ Right.

It might have been a bit easier if that pesky S.H.I.E.L.D agent wasn't hovering behind them constantly! Despite how polite and courteous and fairly unobtrusive he had been acting, Jane couldn't help but still be mistrustful of all government agencies. No doubt he was reporting all he saw and understood to his supervisors. And no doubt if they were actually able to crack this code, S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn't want it publicly known. And up to a certain point, Jane understood. She really did.

_But to censure everything there came out of this lab?_ That was just un-American.

Reed swiped at his screen from his newly adopted seat next to her and transferred new data to her.

"Take a look at this," he said. "I just found this report from the VLA*. Looks like they picked up a large energy burst and have been trying to find out what it was. Only, look there."

Jane's eyes darted over the numbers as she saw what Reed was trying to point out.

"It matches the pulse Tony recorded," she said. "Except-"

"Except it's confusing the teams down in New Mexico because there are no after effects from the burst. No stars missing, nothing to show for such a substantial amount of energy."

Jane's face lit up in understanding.

"It's an echo."  
Reed grinned.

"Exactly."

"What do you mean, _an echo_?"

Both scientists rolled their eyes and groaned under their breath. Axel had popped up silently behind them and was attempting to peer over their shoulders at the holo-screens before them.

"Mr. Ladino," Jane droned, "I don't mean to be rude, but I still don't understand why you need to be here."

"Getting tired of me already, Dr. Foster?"

He quirked a grin at her, but Jane was not amused.

"Kinda, yeah."

Reed chuckled openly as he returned to the new data. Axel feigned hurt which only spurned on Jane's irritation.

"You wound me, doctor. I am only here as a professional, I assure you."

Jane blinked dully, scoffed, and turned her back to the young man. After having him at the lab daily, she knew better than to engage with him. It just wasn't worth it.

There was suddenly a commotion nearby the lab doors; both scientists directed their focus to the door and Axel's eyes drifted lazily to watch the entrance. As the noise grew closer muffled voices could be heard.

_"I already have one of your people here, I don't need all of you! Look, there's lots of big numbers and words in there that you aren't going to understand and that's it."_

_"Stark, just...don't."_

_[Sir-]_

And then the door _"whooshed"_ open and three figures came striding in. Tony was scowling and grumbling about _"no manners"_ and _"trespassing on private property"_.

Jane gaped openly as she realized she was in the same room as Captain American and the Black Widow. They were all that was on the news lately, it seemed. _Plus,_ she'd learned about this guy in history class. It was strange.

_Not as strange as meeting Thor had been, but it was up there._

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Axel adopt a rigid, professional appearance that he had lost after too much time with them. It made her smirk a little.

"Agent Romanoff," he barked out obediently.

" _Steve Rogers_ ," Jane questioned.

"Hey, I'm Reed," Reed said blandly.

Steve stood, hands resting on his belt, and nodded at the group.

"Doctors, _agent._ "

Axel lifted his chin in acknowledgement, his eyes darting back to Natasha as if she were the one he was truly worried about. Natasha scowled at him briefly, as if able to sense he'd been goofing off before returning to ignoring him.

"What's going on," Jane questioned a tad suspiciously. She maneuvered her body to be blocking their research.

"We were informed about the energy blast," Natasha informed her. "The old man had to check it out for himself."

Reed leaned back against one of the lab tables and crossed his arms.

"You're just hearing about it now?"

"We were on a mission."

Steve rolled his eyes at the jab his partner had aimed at him, but largely ignored it.

"Tony still hasn't explained any of it completely."

He glared at the billionaire who skewed his lips to the side in response.

"Classified," Tony said dryly.

Natasha's eyes landed on Axel again and her eyebrow quirked up in realization.

"Where's Sutton?"

All three civilians in the room froze. Jane's face was openly shocked, eyes wide.

"You mean, you don't-"

"Well maybe if Sutton's little _wanna-be boyfriend_ didn't tell you already, you don't have clearance to know."

" _What,"_ Steve snapped. Frustrated eyes landed on Axel he frowned. "What is going on here? What happened to Sutton?"

The room was still silent, Jane shifted where she stood. Reed didn't make eye contact with anyone.

"Why aren't you shadowing Sutton," Natasha asked more firmly. "That _is_ your assignment, isn't it?"

Axel remained mum despite the fact he was a highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D agent who should have had the courage to answer that question. Tony growled under his breath but was the one to step up.

"Sutton is gone," he said flatly.

The seemed to spike Steve's irritation more than anything.

"What are you talking about? Where is she at? Is she safe?"

It was quiet again a bit longer.

"What I mean," said Tony, "since it seems I have to repeat myself _several times now_ , is that Sutton _was_ the energy burst."

Natasha's brows furrowed as she thought that answer through.

" _Sutton_ was the _energy burst_ that alerted every S.H.I.E.L.D post _and_ , not to mention, several civilian space agencies."

"Yes," said Jane. "We've been looking for her."

" _Looking for her_ ," said Steve in disbelief. "You mean she gave off an energy burst and _disappeared._ "

" _What I'd give for an iceberg_ ," Tony complained. "I told you there were words too big for you to understand."

"We deserve to know stuff like this too, _Tony_ ," argued Steve. "You're not the only one who's friends with her. And we're all responsible for her being here."

"Um, yeah, last time I checked that was _Loki_ ," Tony quipped. " _I_ saved her hide, as I remember it."

Axel held up both hands, palms out, to disrupt the tension.

"Let's all calm down a moment, huh? We're all concerned about Sutton-"

" _Are you_ ," Steve bit. "Because you seem to be just enjoying messing around in this lab."

Axel stiffened and straightened to his full height- _which still wasn't quite as tall as Steve_. His jaw flexed as his teeth were champed together.

"I've been with her, _working in close quarters with her,_ for a year. I think I qualify to care-"

"Oh-"

"Ok- _aaaay_ ," Jane interrupted loudly. " _Anyway_ , all we know is that she is most likely in another, _different_ , dimension." She paused as if she still had to let that sink in. "I mean, _wow._ "

Reed grinned in amusement briefly.

"Like we said, we're trying to find her. But as you can imagine it's a bit difficult."

The room settled down and Tony rolled his eyes as the tension faded marginally.

"Besides, I think we all know that _I_ am Sutton's favorite. _Now,_ if we can get you government dweebs all out of here so the _intelligent_ people can get some work done?"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

" _Princess Leia!"_

Threepio moved his arms awkwardly and listened to Artoo's chirps a second more.

_[Yes,]_ he confirmed. _[That's right. Princess Leia. How were you ever able to guess?]_

Luke moved around the room to be closer to the droids, his face alight.

"The princess is here! Where is she?"

_[Level five. Detention block A-A-twenty-three.]_

"Princess? What's going on?"

"Say, how _did_ you know they were talking about the princess?"

"I _said_ _**what's going on**_ _?"_

Sutton fluttered up on to her tip-toes and fiddled with her hands behind her back.

"Uh, _er_ , Rebel radio? Obviously."

Neither people nor droids looked like they exactly believed her. But she was saved by Artoo beeping worriedly and Threepio informing them that Leia was scheduled for termination.

"We have to save her!"

Han shot Luke a look that clearly stated he thought the boy crazy.

"No way. I didn't sign up for some rescue mission."

Sutton decided to butt in and try and cut this conversation short.

"Wow. I'm surprised a guy like you isn't even interested in the reward money."

Han dropped his feet from their perch on the console and leaned forward.

"How much are we talkin'?"

Luke seemed to catch on to her tactics and nodded in agreement.

"A lot, she _is_ a princess."  
Sutton was leaning against the consoles that ran down her side of the room and picking under her fingernails with her thumb.

_Oh yeah. She was totally cool right now._

"She's also an important leader in the Rebel Alliance. I'm sure they'd be _very thankful_ for her safe return. _If_ you catch my drift."

Han, indeed, did catch her drift. They all began to leave immediately, keeping the droids in the control room just in case and so they wouldn't get in the way. Luke's plan to make it through the Death Star was for him and Han to impersonate two stormtroopers taking a prisoner, Chewie, down to the detention blocks. It was a great plan and all (at least initially), but it failed to take one thing into consideration.

"Hey! What about me!"

Han glanced back at her and grimaced. Sutton huffed and puckered her lips. She was really getting sick of him not liking her. He was one of her childhood idols, gosh darn it!

"We should leave her with the droids. She can't get in to trouble that way."

Luke, for the life of him, looked like he might be starting to agree. Sutton could not let that happen! The droids got found out! And if the guards saw a _human girl_ hiding with the robots, it wouldn't go quite as smoothly.

"You can't! I mean, uh, what if the droids _do_ get discovered! I'm screwed!"

Han pushed out his bottom lip and widened his eyes in a fake sympathetic pout.

"Well wouldn't that just be _too bad._ "

Luke's face softened as his shoulders slumped at her protest.

"Come on, she's got a point. We can't leave her for the Imperials to find."

"She ain't gonna fit in a stormtrooper suit, kid. Got another grand idea?"

Luke's other "grand idea" was to put her in a pair of binders as well. Sutton cooperated more easily than Chewie had, though her heart did begin to try to fly from her chest as they stepped out into the hall. She did not have to feign fear or nervousness. As they marched down various hallways toward the elevators, Sutton's head whipped from side to side trying to study her surroundings. This space station seriously had the gray and grave vibe down pat.

_Would it kill them to put in a few potted plants, or a nice watercolor on the wall?_

Sutton was positioned behind Chewie which majorly blocked her from view from outside eyes, and she was thankful for it. A giant, fierce Wookie as a prisoner was a bit more believable than a barely adult sized, human girl.

They were able to claim one of the elevators and Han shooed away an Imperial worker from joining them. Sutton began brainstorming what her next moves would be after the getting off the elevator on the detention level.

_There was that blaster fight, wasn't there? Yes._ So _duck and cover_ would be her go-to tactic.

Although Sutton knew that Luke's plan worked as well as any plan could in this situation, a certain pilot was not aware of this fact.

"This is not going to work," Han complained in the elevator. Luke lifted up his helmet, eyes wide and eyebrows drawn together.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

"I _did_ say so before!"

"Oh shut it," Sutton whined. "It'll work for what we need it to."

Han glared down at her.

" _Oh_ , and you know so much, twerp."

Sutton rolled her eyes and the elevator doors began to open; the group snapped back up into attentive positions. As they stepped out of the elevator and into the adjacent room, an officer turned to give them all a suspicious glance.

"Where are you taking this thing?" His eyes slid to the side and caught sight of Sutton. One of his brows arched high on his forehead. "And _that thing?_ "

Luke responded first.

"Prisoner transfers from Block 1138."

The officer straightened further as if affronted.

" _I_ wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it."

Sutton took that as her cue and let her body go limp as Chewbacca pulled his hands from the binders and let out a roar.

_"Look out, he's loose!"_

_"He'll tear us all apart!"_

_"I'll get him!"_

Chewie was tossed a blaster and the three men worked together to dispatch of the entire room of Imperial workers as well as the cameras. Sutton rose off the cold metal floor and peered around the room.

_Crap. People were dead. And now stuff was about to hit the fan._

Luke ran to find Leia and Han tried to placate the other officers on the opposite end of the comlink, but ended up blasting it in the end. Sutton always thought that part was funny. She mouthed the next line silently alongside him.

"Luke! We're going to have company!"

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Vicki sat on a sofa in the living room of Sutton's mother's home. The Captain America shield was leaning against the same sofa near her knees and she waited quietly while Mrs. Lindsay fetched some drinks.

It was a quaint living room, homey. Very different from anything her parents would have. The floors were a fuzzy carpet and the walls were covered in a warm beige and family photographs. The furniture, as well, was warm toned and gave evidence of being gently used. Vicki fiddled with her hands a bit as she waited. It was a bit awkward to sit in the home of people who were almost strangers, but it was better still than sitting at home with her parents all day.

_She loved them, but, gosh, she wanted to move back out already._

Her mother and father were a very traditional Chinese couple and, while Vicki was proud of her heritage, there were some aspects of her American culture that she favored.

_Like_ _ not _ _having to fly back "home" to find a nice boy._

Mrs. Lindsay reentered the living room carrying a tray with two tall glasses of lemonade and a plate of wafer cookies.

"I'm sorry," she said with a nervous grin, "this is all I have at the moment."

Vicki shook her head quickly and smiled politely.

"It's perfect, really. Thank you."

She waited until Mrs. Lindsay had situated the tray on the coffee table between them before continuing on.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Lindsay," she said. "But I just wanted to know if you knew-"

There was the interrupting noise of someone jumping down the stairs and both women turned their gazes over to the staircase across the room. Vicki watched as Sutton's little brother landed, at last, on the ground floor and turned toward them. He looked up at both of them with surprised green eyes, the same as his mother she noted, as if he didn't know either of them had been there, and then his face scrunched into a serious expression.

"Who're you?"

" _Tyrese_ ," his mother berated. "I have a guest, you need to play in the backyard or go back upstairs."

The boy, who couldn't have been older than thirteen, was still staring at Vicki in a suspicious manner. Vicki gave him a small wave.

"Hi. I'm Vicki."

Understanding blossomed across his face instantly.

"You're Sutton's roommate," he said frankly. At the mention of Sutton, Vicki could see his eyes go instantly glassy.

Vicki just nodded silently. His gaze dropped down to the shield at her side and his eyebrows shot up.

"Why do you have _that_?"

" _Tyrese!_ You need to go find something to do."

"Does it have to do with Sutton?"

Vicki's eyes flickered back and forth from both faces before her and stammered a bit in uncertainty.

"Um, well..."

Mrs. Lindsay then stood up sharply and pulled her son by the elbow out of the room and into the kitchen. Vicki could hear their voices arguing in harsh whispers that would often accidentally rise before dropping again. Shortly, they both came back into the living room and sat on the loveseat across from Vicki. Mrs. Lindsay had a look of resigned defeat on her face as her son sat resolutely next to her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "But Tyrese would like to join our discussion. Is that alright?"

"Um, sure. It's fine with me. I mean, it's probably nothing anyway. Just something I found odd."

"Captain America's shield," Tyrese questioned.

Vicki's fingers brushed over the top of the shield as she nodded. It was still cool and solid beneath her touch.

"I found this in my room," she told them, diving right in. "It was wedged in between my mattress. It's not mine. I'm guessing it was Sutton's, except-"

She paused as she tried to decided how to explain her feelings about finding this artifact. How could she describe the unease that this thing filled her with. It just felt _wrong_ somehow. Like it didn't belong.

_Well, it certainly didn't belong in their rental!_

"Well, I never saw Sutton make this, or buy it. She never talked about it. And, well, it feels, like, real? I don't know. I'm sorry, I'm probably wasting your time."

"No, no," Mrs. Lindsay reassured. "You're never intruding in our house, Victoria. I'm happy you'd come to us with anything regarding...regarding Sutton."

It was obvious how upset both of them still were over Sutton's mysterious disappearance. Even Tyrese was pulling in his bottom lip stubbornly. He rose from the loveseat and crouched down before the shield to inspect it. Vicki was a bit surprised how gently he ran his fingers across the star in the center. He scratched at his own coarse, curly hair and looked back at his mom.

"It looks just like the movie, mom."

His mother just shook her head and rubbed at her nose.

"Don't be silly," she said.

"We should try shooting at it!"

"You _will not!_ "

"Dad can do it when he gets home!"

" _Tyrese."_

Vicki shrunk back down into the couch as they discussed the shield. Tyrese was glaring over at his mother until a look of wonder shot across his face.

"What about the note?"

The only movement that came from Mrs. Lindsay was her eyes darting back over to her son.

"Excuse me?"

"The note she left," he said more quietly. "What if this is part of it?"

Vicki was officially lost. She ran a hand through her hand and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Wha-what...note?"

Mrs. Lindsay was almost crying the moment he mentioned the note. Tyrese jumped up from his crouched position and ran over to hug his mom.

"It's ok, mom. Maybe this is what it was talking about. Maybe Captain America saved her. Or even Iron Man."

Vicki winced at the young boy's attempts at reassurance.

"They're not real, hun."

Tyrese pulled away and frowned, his bottom lip pushing out slightly.

"But we have his shield. It's even metal and it has the scratches and everything! And Sutton said-"

"Tyrese, _please don't_ -"

"- _she said_ that we wouldn't believe her if she told us the truth! And now we have Captain America's shield and you _don't_ believe it! See!"

Vicki was paling as the conversation continued on and Sutton's mother seemed to become more and more distressed.

"Maybe I should go..."

Mrs. Lindsay looked up and opened her mouth just as the front door open and her husband walked in. He froze the moment he saw his wife almost in hysterics and then rushed into the room and scooped her up in his large arms. He had a deep, rumbling voice that soothed his wife's hitching breaths.

"It's ok, just breath baby."

"Dad! Look!"

Tyrese tried to point out the shield and Vicki took all the drama as her cue to leave.

"I'll just leave this here for you guys to... _examine._ "

Mrs. Lindsay pulled herself together enough to thank Vicki for coming over and tell her to feel free to bring anything else to their attention if she found something.

Vicki thought she might let the family have some distance for awhile.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

They, _indeed_ , had company. Luke and Leia had rushed back and now they were all trying to find a way to escape. Stormtroopers were suddenly surging around them and another firefight was breaking out. Sutton screeched and ran for the hall and the garbage chute while the rest of them argued.

_She really wasn't looking forward to the garbage chute._

_"Can't get out that way."_

_"Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route."_

_"Maybe you'd like it back in your cell, Your Highness."_

Luke was shouting that there wasn't any other way out after consulting C-3PO and Han and Leia were already starting their bickering. Sutton huddled behind Leia, because she was the most capable and rational human being at the moment.

"This is some rescue! When you came here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?"

"He's the brains, sweetheart."

Sutton was about to shout at them to shut up and point out the garbage chute when Leia began firing at it. And despite her fierce objections to going down there at all, she was certainly not the last one to jump in.

She shouted all the way down, but snapped her mouth shut as she hit the debris below. Some of the filthy water splashed up on the fabric of her breeches and she gave a disgusted yelp as she immediately began clawing as high onto the garbage pile as she could.

_Like heck was she going to be pulled under by that squid monster._

The moment Han hit the ground, Sutton was leaning forward on her hands and knees and shouting.

"HAN SOLO! If you shoot that blaster off, I SWEAR I will kill you myself!"

"I already tried it," Luke added. "It's magnetically sealed!"

Han held his hands up in mock surrender while raising his brows sarcastically.

"You act like more of a princess than _she_ does," he said to Sutton. And then he turned to Leia. "And for _your_ information, I had everything under control until you led us down here."

Sutton suddenly remembered exactly why she'd climbed up so high on the garbage pile.

"Everybody out of the water," she cried. "Hurry up!"

She was met with curious glances, though Leia actually did try to get further away from the dirty water. "What're you on about now," Han complained. He stood with one hip cocked to the side and hand resting on his belt.

"There's a frickin' trash monster in the water that is about to strike, that's what!"

A loud moan worked it's way up from the nasty filmy pool the men waded in and Luke and Han were suddenly scrambling out of the water and flying up the debris. A slimy tentacle snapped out of the water and whipped from side to side looking for a victim to snatch. Luckily everyone was out of range, and when it found no one the tentacle splashed back down into the water and all evidence of the beast disappeared.

"What the heck!"

"How did you know that?"

"Ok! Luke! Listen to me, buddy, you _need_ to contact C-3PO and tell him to shut down the garbage compressors or whatever this thing is!"

"What?"

"Just do it, dang it! I'd like to live long enough to make it back home!"

Luke pulled out his communicator and attempted to hail Threepio. The droid was, _of course_ , unavailable. And then the walls started to move in. Sutton yelped and tried to push them away despite knowing that it would be pointless.

_"The walls are moving!"_

_"Don't just stand there! Try to brace it with something!"_

_"One thing's for sure; we're all going to be a lot thinner!"_

Sutton was caught up in the terror and frenzy of trying not to be flattened à la boot on ant. Luke was screaming for C-3PO and Han and Leia were yelling at each other trying to hold back the walls; Sutton's blood pumped painfully in her veins. It suddenly felt like the walls just might close on them. Maybe with her here, Luke wouldn't reach Threepio in time.

_Maybe, maybe, maybe..._

And then she heard Luke's voice rising above the chaos.

"Will you shut up and listen to me! Shut down all garbage mashers on the detention level, will you? Do you copy? Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level!"

Chewbacca was howling in despair and Luke was still yelling when the walls finally came to a scraping halt. Sutton took a moment to breath, a wide grin forming on her face, before she began whooping in joy with the rest of them.

Han and Luke worked together to get their specific trash location to Threepio so he could have Artoo unlock the door and Sutton was mightily grateful when they were finally out.

_Lordy, she really needed a shower now. Geez._

Quietly, they climbed out of the garbage masher and out into the adjoining hall. Sutton felt like if she could make it back to the Falcon now, she might just be able to survive anything. She thought that maybe she just might be getting a hang of this whole "functioning in other universes" thing too, until she received a few more-than-suspicious glances from everyone around her.

"If we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get out of here," Han said snidely. Sutton sneered back at him.

"Hey, _bucko_ , my advice actually _helped,_ okay? You ought to be _thanking_ me."

"Yeah, about that. I'm startin' to think you might not be telling us something important, _twerp._ "

Sutton stammered a bit, but tried to maintain her righteous indignation. Luke gestured at the space in front of them.

"For now," he said, "let's get moving!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the responses on the story! I love your guys' feedback! <3
> 
> *VLA: Very Large Array. This is a real facility in New Mexico with massive dishes that listen to deep space.


	7. The Magic of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton gets a cop-out. Asgard roils.

Sutton was not happy with her current options. The group was about to split up and neither team was a great choice. Either she went with Han,  _who still didn't like her,_  and Chewie to be shot at by stormtroopers, or she went with Luke and Leia to _"Tarzan" it_  over that pit.

She didn't think that grappling hook of Luke's could hold three people.

So when Han bravely charged down the hall with Chewie, Sutton groaned and trudged along behind. When she heard the sound of a grown man crying out and a Wookie roaring, Sutton swiveled on her heel and started booking it in the opposite direction.

_Which way was she supposed to go?_

There was the thunder of feet behind her and the high whine of blaster fire. Something hot breezed by her face and Sutton let out a shout of her own. Two pairs of pounding footsteps caught up with her, then passed her, and Sutton let out a cry of insult as Han Solo and his companion started to leave her in the dust.

"Hey!"

Han Solo didn't even slow down, but Chewie,  _bless him_ , turned enough to snatch her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

_"Oof!"_

Sutton felt like she was in a car flooring it over speed bumps as they ran down the hall. Her face was buried in Chewie's long fur as blaster fire sounded around her and she screamed.

_"Just run in a straight line, gosh dang it! They can't aim for crap!"_

But her helpful advice went unacknowledged and Sutton was able to push up her body enough to watch behind Chewie at the stampede of soldiers in pursuit. Stormtroopers were slightly more intimidating when they were actually running after you, faceless, and trying to blow your head off. She let out a low groan in the back of her throat. She wasn't sure if it was from being jostled so much or from all the compounded stress, but she was beginning to not feel so great.

It actually didn't take very long for them to make it back to the hangar and Chewie, once again, put her down as gently as the situation would allow. Sutton swayed on her feet a moment before giving him another grin and thanking him. Han was looking around the bay in frustration and Sutton waved a hand at him flippantly as she bent over and continued to try and settle her stomach.

"Give them a second," she said.

And true to her word,  _as she always was if anyone bothered to listen,_  Luke and Leia came rushing up to join them.

"What kept you," Han asked a bit irritably.

"We ran into some old friends," Leia responded sarcastically.

"Is the ship all right?"

"Seems ok, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission."

Sutton rolled her eyes.

"He got it down, it's fine. Let's just go."

"Well, now'd be our chance," Han said. "Go!"

Sutton booked it for the Falcon, not bothering to even look back. That is, until she heard Luke's voice call out,

_"Ben?"_

_Oh no. This part._

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end because she knew what was coming next. And also, if she dared to turn around, she'd be able to see the Sith Lord himself.

_Darth Vader._

Sutton was suddenly struck with an uneasiness that she'd yet to experience on her adventure. All thought vanished from her mind as she turned to see the two wielders of the Force duke it out.

Her first thought was an unintelligible jumble of sounds that mostly translated to  _"fear"_. But her second was that Darth Vader was taller than she expected.

She didn't have much time to think anymore than that though, because then Vader's lightsaber slashed through the empty robes of Obi Wan Kenobi. Luke cried out in horror, but she could only stare, wide eyed. Because then Darth Vader was looking straight at them. The black lenses where his eyes were looked at  _her_ and he tilted his head to the side as if confused or curious. A coldness settled on her skin that caused gooseflesh to rise up and the hairs on her arm to stand on end. Han's screaming finally tore her attention away from the stare off.

_"He's gone! Blast the door! We have to go!"_

The shot hit the door panel just in time and they all stampeded up the ramp and into the ship.

Stumbling over onto the couch in the common room area, Sutton collapsed onto it. Luke dropped in to a chair across from her and sat in stunned silence. He looked shell shocked and pale and Sutton didn't have a clue as to what to say.

"I can't believe he's gone," he managed to utter.

Sutton's brows rose and came together in a helpless pity, but her tongue couldn't manage to form the right words. What did you say to someone who'd just watched their friend die?

Leia came in and took over the comforting. She stroked his shoulder in reassurance and Sutton cast her eyes downward. There was a jolt as the Falcon lurched out of the Death Star's hold which brought a small sigh of relief. When they were a bit away, Han reemerged from the cockpit.

"We're not out of this yet, kids."

Luke bounced back surprisingly quickly and snapped up to climb into one of the turret control rooms. Sutton made eye contact with Leia, her eyes stuck in a dull stare.

"You know they put a tracking beacon on this thing, right?"

Leia smiled humorlessly even as she followed to join Han and Chewie in the cockpit.

"I assumed as much."

She disappeared down the hall before Sutton could respond to the statement and Sutton didn't feel like following her at the moment. Instead she focused her attention on the droids who were off to the side.

"Can you guys find and disable the tracking beacon by any chance?"

C-3PO turned to R2D2 as he beeped and chirped and then turned back to Sutton.

_[I'm afraid he said it must be physically removed and deactivated.]_

Sutton sighed and sunk further into her seat.

"Figures."

She winced without visible reason and rubbed at her head.

"And even if this thing  _had_  a spacesuit, I wouldn't-"

The Falcon suddenly jerked forward as if struck and Sutton gripped the table so that she wouldn't fall over. Her stomach lurched and a tingling shut up from her toes. Her face went pale then.

_"Oh no."_

Pushing herself out of her seat, Sutton rushed down the hall and to the cockpit. Luke was in his shooter's seat and firing away already.

"Hey guys-"

"Not now! I'm kind of in the middle of something here, kid."

Leia spared her a glance, but was also absorbed with getting out of this fire fight and to the rebel base alive. Not that Sutton could really fault them. But she was starting to panic a little.

"I don't  _flipping_   _care_  how much you can't stand me and that you're worried about a couple TIE Fighters! I need-I need..."

_Ok_ , so she was panicking a lot. Fear was clawing up inside her a the unknown of what was coming.

_She felt sick. She felt sick and it wasn't going away._

"What," Leia asked firmly, but not unkindly. "What do you need besides getting out of range of these ships?"

She couldn't think of anything to say that didn't make her out to be crazy.

"I haven't even been here very long, but-but I think I'm leaving soon."

"Darn right you are," Han cut in. "Once we get to that base, you aren't getting back on my ship!"

"Nobody asked you, you windbag," Leia snapped.

"Who're you calling-  _hey! Whoa!_ Luke, it's called  _aiming!_ "

Sutton groaned;  _they didn't understand_. They didn't even know she was from a different dimension.

She wanted her mom. She'd even settle for Tony.

_Gosh darn it!_  She really hadn't even been here that long! Not even  _close_  to a year! Not that she didn't want to leave, that  _had_  been her goal, but now wasn't a good time. And she'd like to be in control of where she was headed.

Maybe this was because of Tony! That's why she wasn't staying long!  _Oh she really hoped it was Tony!_

"Way to go buddy! Now let's get out of here!"

Sutton left them as the ship zipped away towards the moon that hid the rebel base.

There was a pressure building up under her ribs and she stumbled out of the cockpit and back out to the common room. Her organs felt like they were on fire.

_It wasn't pleasant._

Artoo was messing with the wiring of  _something,_ but Threepio noticed her agony and shuffled over.

_[Are you alright, miss? You seem to be in distress.]_

Sutton could feel tingling in her feet now climbing up her calves and she coughed out an answer.

"I'll find out in a bit, I guess."

_[I'm afraid I don't understand.]_

She let out a breathy, humorless laugh.

"Then just wait a minute and you'll be totally baff-"

A shock of pain speared her and she let out a small cry. Threepio shuffled back in surprise, his arms rotating up and down a moment.

_[I-I will go fetch the princess.]_

But her cry must have been heard down the hall, because Leia was already in view with a confused expression stretching across her face. At seeing Sutton slumped across a seat and the table, she rushed over and tried to help set her up.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?"

There were beads of set gathering on Sutton's brow and she tried to shoo the princess away.

"You might want to stand back. I'm- I'm still not exactly sure how this works."

"What are you-  _oh my gosh!_ "

Leia leaped away and Sutton glanced down to see her right leg vanished up to the knee.

_"Craptastic."_

It wouldn't be much longer now, if her previous experience was anything to go off of.

"You can tell Han he's -he's a real... _dream crusher_ ," she managed to mutter out. She could feel her consciousness fading as Leia stared at her in horror.

_"I need some help in here!"_

Suddenly, Sutton's eyes snapped open wide and her hand reached out, fingers splayed.

"Whatever you do!  _Don't...kiss...Luke..."_

But the world was black before Han or Luke could even make it into the room.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

News from home only served to grieve Thor's already burdened heart. The political unrest had not lessened as he continued to fight for peace in the realms. A battle that could still not be won for awhile yet. A fresh troop of Asgardians had come into the fight the night before, and their tales of the kingdom only made Thor yearn to return home and set things right. With either diplomacy or his hammer, he did not care which.

With all his army spread amongst the branches of Yggdrasil, Odin had only basic defenses posted through Asgard. The people, still stirred about the predicted attack from Malekith, were not satisfied with this.

Trying to send back reassurances via messenger had only served to worsen the situation. His assurance that he heard them and would urge for steps to be taken at his return only confirmed to the people that he, indeed, believed the authenticity of the threat. And knowing that Thor worried about Asgard even while occupied in battle only spurred them further against Odin, who they saw now as only wishing complacency on them. Complacency and destruction.

And as a result of this, Loki was getting much more than just meals and interrogations. Now he was getting  _conversations._  Genuine conversations that the guards engaged in about the Convergence, his knowledge of the dark spaces in the Great Tree, and his strategies on dealing with the mess Asgard was falling into.

Loki happily engaged with them.  _Of course_ , he engaged with them as a lost prince; one who had finally freed his mind from unholy control and was horrified by what had come from his fall. They were all hungry for security and Loki fed them ideas of it like one would taunt a dog with a cut of meat. And with the Convergence drawing nearer and nearer, it didn't take much to keep the people in a flurry.

_"I bet_ _he_ _is_ _searching for the Aether."_

_"Who's to say he hasn't been waiting for the next Convergence all this time?"_

_"It draws ever closer, just a few months time."_

The worry and outrage at Odin's inaction grew so fierce that his own council demanded a meeting to discuss the dilemma. Odin, himself, was irate over the chaos. His reassurances over the falsity of the threat fell flat with his people.  _His word!_  His word which had previously been concrete and accepted! Now they looked at him as if he worked to bring about their destruction with his own hands. He had ordered that the guards be forbidden from speaking with Loki to try and ward off the rumors, but it appeared it was an order not being heeded.

The council sat at a  _"u"_  shaped table that faced a large stage at which sat their king. The tone was solemn and grave, as it should be fore such a situation. Odin sat in his chair, back straight and legs firmly planted on the ground. Only the low murmur of hushed whispers rose above the silence. One loud  _"rap"_ silenced the people below as Odin struck the ground with Gungnir.

"Let us, then, begin this session of council," he demanded.

At the very curve of the  _"u"_  of the table a man stood to represent the rest.

"Allfather," the man bowed respectfully. "We have called this meeting because the conflict in Asgard has grown out of hand. Our soldiers are just able to keep the peace. Many of the soldiers are the ones who are part of the unrest! We feel action must be taken."

Odin's eye was icy and he glanced at every face of his council before answering.

"And what action would you suggest?"

The man, to his credit, did not fidget like most would under such a pointed question.

"Action to defend Asgard from Malekith must be enacted. Even if he is dead, or lost to the branches of Yggdrasil, the people must  _feel_  protected."

"And you would have me do this, how? Take men from the front lines? Drag them back to defend a land that  _is not_  currently under attack?"

Now under the blatant scrutiny of Odin, the man adjusted his stance and cleared his throat.

"There have been... _suggestions_ ," the man began cautiously. "Many have expressed... _interest_  in some strategies suggested by...by the prisoner Loki, Allfather."

Odin Allfather was still as marble on his throne.

"Is this, then, how far my kingdom has fallen? My own council comes to me suggesting to consult with a  _murderer_ , when Asgard is as much at peace as it ever was?  _This_  is your plan to calm the people?"

"It is the people's voice which demands it, Allfather," the man responded. "And it is Thor's continued concern over the rumored attack and the looming Convergence that has cemented the authenticity of the claim in their minds. If nothing else, we must make the people  _feel_ as if they are safe."

There was a sort of anger in the Allfather's jaw and eyes that the men on his council had not seen before. It had been many, many years since Asgard had been in any sort of danger and life had, until recently, been peaceful. That everything Odin had worked to build and maintain was moving towards revolt and madness must have been infuriating.

"I will  _not_ release the prisoner only to give him additional opportunity and freedom to inflame more panic."

The discussion continued on longer than any meeting before that they could remember. All the while there was debate over what sort of initiatives should be taken to resolve Asgard's problems. A few agreed with Odin, that Loki should remain imprisoned and silent. (Asgard was not a realm that judged with trial sat in by a jury of one's peers.) Others, while not necessarily vouching for Loki, cautiously pointed out that Thanos  _was_  a powerful being, one who could easily influence anyone. Especially if one was young,  _or_  momentarily irrational,  _or_  unprepared in any way shape or form for an encounter with him.

Eventually, Odin called for a recess so that they could have a rest and refresh themselves. When he was out of sight of his council and in the privacy of his own chambers, he seemed to deflate into himself. In that moment, the pale weariness of his age was most evident. The toll of watching over a kingdom, of assisting other realms, and dealing with wayward sons was enough to age anyone. He had a few minutes to himself before Frigga entered the room, her face unsurprised at seeing him there. She walked slowly up behind him and trailed her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.

"Was it that bad, then?"

Odin sighed dismally, his head leaning back into her touch.

"It was worse."

Frigga made a quiet sighing noise in the back of her throat and moved around so that she would be facing her husband.

"You know  _something_  must be done. Asgard cannot maintain this level of turmoil for much longer."

Odin let out a bitter chuckle.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were calling for Loki's release like the others."

Frigga gripped Odin's wrinkled hand and squeezed gently.

"I only want what is best for Asgard and her people. Though, it  _would_  be nice to even  _see_  my son again," she said with a pointed glare. She would not mention her own secret visits with her imprisoned son. Some things were just better left unmentioned.

"And do you agree with them? I should release a man who has murdered and attempted to enslave, in order to make the people happy? It is my job to do what has to be done to keep the peace! To keep them  _safe_  despite themselves!"

Frigga sighed and let go of his hand, turning partially away as she seemed to ponder a response.

"And have you consulted your Seers," she asked. "What have they to say?"

Odin waved his hand in a flippant fashion and turned to stand and move away towards a large window looking over Asgard and out to the Bifrost.

"Bah," he said. "You cannot depend solely on Seers. Their visions can be wrong, or figurative. They are unreliable."

Frigga frowned, taking bold steps towards the king.

"I hear they See darkness," she said. "And literally or figuratively, it does not speak well of the future. I say once again that Loki's actions were unacceptable, but perhaps there is some truth in what is being spoken now. We know that he is not the source of the warning, and Thor himself has set his mind on the idea that the threat is true. If it is false, it is false and at least we were prepared. But if it is not, the people will never forget such a lax in leadership."

Her next words were not hesitant, but spoken carefully and gently.

"And regardless of previous actions, we both know that Loki did always show a sharp mind for strategy. I am not saying to trust him. The Norns know he could charm his way out of Hel; I am saying  _use_ him. If we work as a  _family_  perhaps we can come out of this the better.

Odin still did not look back at her, but he did not speak either. Frigga let the silence settle around them before a tight smile stretched across her face that did not meet her eyes.

"I will leave you to your thoughts and your councilmen. There is some work I need to complete in the gardens."

She left silently and turned down the hall in the opposite direction of the gardens. Instead she made her way towards a private chamber where she could use her magic and speak without being overheard.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton was shivering when she woke. Her eyes opened with great effort and when they were open, it almost didn't matter. It was dark. It was dark and cold and she wasn't happy. At the moment she wasn't doing the greatest job at translating feelings into thoughts, but an overall emotion of  _"ugh"_  dominated her senses. Her bones were jelly once again and she didn't bother moving for a long while. She continued to shiver as the chilled air brushed against her exposed skin and easily bit through the thin fabric of her tunic. A soft sound lulled her into a drowsy state, a nice lapping noise that soothed her senses.

After some time, though not hours later, she felt solid enough to attempt movement and rolled over onto her hand and knees. The surface below bit at her hands and knees and she winced. Her eyes were open wide, attempting to pull in as much light as possible, and as they adjusted she could make out more distinct shapes. She was on wooden planks; her fingers curled down into worn wood and she let out a small sigh of relief to at least be out of the desert.  _And out of space._

Looking up towards the sky, her line of sight was partially blocked by a roofed, steepled archway that covered the space she was in like an open air room. She could faintly tell that the moon was rising in the night sky through openings in the steeple and the moon was joined by thousands of gleaming stars. It was probably more gorgeous when properly looked at. But, once again, staying in one spot wasn't going to help her at the moment. She managed to hold a standing position and turned in a circle and tried to get her barrings.

All hope that this trip was Tony's doing and that she'd made it back to the Marvel universe safe and sound died as she took in the shadowy shape of the structure looming above her. The breath  _'whooshed'_ from her lungs as she realized instantly exactly where her body had taken her. Right now she was in a small boathouse. Little rowboats were tied to the dock around her and before her a staircase wound up a steep hill.

She knew this boathouse. Mostly she knew this one because it was the only one she'd ever paid any sort of attention to.

_She'd been dumped right outside Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry._  Her heart actually palpitated a bit. She could not help the teeth exposing grin that crept up as she accepted her situation.

"Not exactly what I was hoping," she said with a shrug. "But Universal Studios can suck it now!"

She encountered no one on her long trek up the large hill towards the school of magic she'd known her entire childhood. This book series was  _part of_ her. The excitement couldn't be described with real words. It was just a bubbling cauldron of building pressure that pressed on her chest and threatened to burst her skin with feelings that didn't have names. Because Harry Potter and his pals got her through a lot growing up. The story meant a lot to her.

_And now she was here._

"It's sometime after the war, I bet," she said to herself. "Oh man. I'm  _so_  going to get me an eyeful of grown up Neville Longbottom or Draco Malfoy. They do  _not_ age badly..."

The rest of the journey was filled with her own musings and it wasn't until she finally reached the castle that she became silent once again. Stealthily, she stuck to the shadows as she came closer to the end of the staircase. There was a door at the end of the stairs and, given the time of night, the doors were closed, but Sutton didn't let that deter her for long. Oddly enough, they were not locked and she was able to manage one of them open wide enough for her to squeeze through. Even inside the castle it was dim, lit only by candle light and a subtly magicked ceiling. She closed the door behind her and bit her lip excitedly despite the fact that she had no idea where anything was. Hogwarts was big! Huge! And she had even less knowledge of it's layout than a pitiful little first year. She could get terribly lost, never see the light of day again, or get killed horribly by some school beast. Really, it would be safer to stay put.

She decided to continue straight ahead.

There were doors to her left, large, grand doors that she could hear muffled noise through when she got too close. Sutton tilted her head to put her ear nearer in order to try and hear more, but there was a loud burst of laughter as she did so and she leapt back.

Sutton didn't think bursting in on dinner was such a great idea at the moment. Especially since she was wandless and, technically,  _a muggle._

She actually scoffed at herself in disgust.

_Muggles._

With a little scurrying of feet, she continued on with her exploration of the castle. She couldn't help herself. Besides, after the disappointment of Han Solo, she decided she deserved to look around a bit. And the halls were gloriously empty. Perfect for snooping, though she always kept the nasty Filch and his horrid cat in mind as she crept along.

_She wasn't sure if he were still here or not. Did he leave after the war?_ She couldn't recall at the moment.

Up staircases and around corners and down corridors she trekked along until she began to grow tired. Finally she leaned against one of the cool stone walls to catch her breath and take some weight off her legs.

She forgot how much universe traveling took out of her.

It was as she caught her breath that she actually noticed the figure before her. She almost jumped out of her skin, sucking in air through her teeth and snapping to the balls of her feet. But the figure before her was silent and stony.

No, wait. It was  _actually_ stone.

Sutton let out a breath in a silent sigh. It was just a gargoyle statue. She shook her head at her own silliness and was about to move onward when her brain caught up with her.

_A gargoyle statue! Stupid, that's Dumbledore's office!_

Her heart sped up once again as she tip-toed closer to the silent sentry. It was almost beckoning her as much as it was keeping her out. Sutton bit her lip trying to stifle her excitement.

_What could the password be?_

McGonagall was the Headmistress now, wasn't she? What would McGonagall make the password? She wasn't one to use candies as a security question. Sutton's nose scrunched up as she tried to put her Sherlock hat on and solve this mystery.

"Um,  _Gryffindor?_ "

The gargoyle didn't move.

_"Cats."_

_"Tranfiguration."_

_"Dumbledore."_

_"Hogwarts."_

_"Oh, come on!"_

_"McGonagall1935!"_

Nothing was working, and Sutton was growing more frustrated. She stomped one foot on the cold stone floor and glared at the gargoyle.

"Why couldn't she just pick something easy and sentimental, like  _chocolate frogs?_ "

Suddenly, the gargoyle jolted and jumped to the side, causing Sutton to shriek sharply and bounce away a few feet.

When the gargoyle settled, leaving an open archway and a long staircase, Sutton giggled in disbelief and shot forward.

_She wasn't sure how long the gargoyle would leave the doorway open, after all._

She climbed up the stairs as fast as her still recovering body would allow her to, until she reached another door at the top and froze. Putting her ear to the door, she listened a moment for any sounds that would signify someone inside.

It was silent.

With sweaty palms, she eased the door open and peeked in cautiously. The office had very warm tones, with many books stacked to the ceiling almost, and all sorts of trinkets and odds and ends. But she didn't see any sign of an actual witch or wizard. With another face-splitting grin she stepped fully inside and closed the door behind her.

It was everything she'd ever hoped for. But  _more_  somehow. It did remind her very much of the film adaptation, but it was more real.  _More_ authentic.  _More magic._  She could almost feel it around her, coating everything. Her eyes soaked everything in, from the portraits hanging on the walls to the shining gleam of a  _whirring_ desk toy.

Or, it  _looked_ sort of like a desk toy.

But even as she marinated in the magic of the moment, she was kept anxious by the idea of a returning Headmistress.

_Oh crap! They'd obliviate her if they found out she was muggle! Oooooh no. Oh no. They'd have to take away almost her whole life!_

Her palms were sweaty now with the fear of being caught, and she turned to leave the danger of the office when she saw it.

There, on a little old stool sat an old worn hat. Sutton's mouth fell open and she couldn't speak. It had a wide brim and what was supposed to be a pointed top slumped down by the body of the hat as if it were too tired to hold itself up anymore.

_The sorting hat!_

Sutton eyed the door indecisively, but finally decided she could spare a few minutes. There wasn't the sound of footsteps on the stairs quite yet. Kneeling down next to the hat, she ran a few fingers over it's coarse surface reverently. Gently, she picked up the hat and set it on her own head, pushing it down farther over the curled disaster that her hair had become. She felt the hat wiggle a bit on her head before a quiet voice sounded right next to her ear.

_"What's this? A late one, hmm? Well then, alright, let's see- Wait!"_

The hat moved as if surprised and Sutton held it down as if it would jump off and go tattle on her.

_"Not a first year at all! Too old! And, what's this? Not_ _magic_ _!"_

"Oh, please," Sutton begged. "Please tell me what house I would have been in! I'm begging you! I just want to know! Pottermore can only do so much! Please!"

She wasn't sure if the hat was even paying attention to her because it sounded like it was humming in thought in her ear.

_"No, not quite magic,"_  it contemplated.  _"Something else, almost like magic. Interesting, VERY interesting."_

"I just want to know, please. I do believe you are the most  _wonderful_  hat I've ever met in my entire life, and it would impress me  _so_  much if you'd just let me know what house I would have gotten into."

The hat was quiet a bit longer, and Sutton wasn't sure if it would actually tell her at all;  _being muggle-ish and all._  But just when she was about to give up, put the hat down back on the stool and book it out of there, it spoke again.

_"Very well, this once, for the odd magic muggle. Hmm, let's see."_

Sutton seriously thought she was going to cry, she was actually trembling a bit.

_"Hm, yes, a few attempts at bravery, I see. Some fair tries of wit. Ah, yes. Of course!"_

Sutton was holding her own breath as the sorting hat took in a breath to shout her official house aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! So here it is! The next chapter in this adventure! Sort of a cliff hanger? Ish? What house do you think Sutton would have belonged to? How many people like Harry Potter? What do you think of the events on Asgard?
> 
> Interestingly, I kind of feel like there's an Esau and Jacob dynamic to Odin and Frigga's relationship with their sons. Not sure if I'll expand on it, as it's not exactly the case, I don't think. But it's an intriguing idea.
> 
> It might seem that Sutton left Star Wars pretty quickly, but she was there a few chapters, but there's a reason and I felt like her time there was up. So now, onward!


	8. An Unexpected Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton gets a house placement. The Science team scrambles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter is a bit of a filler, but I had to get through the initial set up of her settling into this world. Next chapter will be more fun! ALSO, I took some liberties with science terminology and "facts" in this chapter. I know it's not completely accurate, but it sounds nice, ok? And I have to make it at least sound like it might be legitimate. Thank you for tolerating that.

The moment had finally come. Now, there would never be a doubt in her mind. She wouldn't have to worry that she skewed a quiz or that maybe Pottermore wasn't correct. Sutton sat in frozen anticipation as the sorting hat proclaimed the house that would be irrecoverably and undeniably hers.

_"HUFFLEPUFF."_

"WHAT."

Sutton almost fell over onto her side as the announcement sank in.

"No, no, no! Are you sure? Are you sure not Gryffindor? Not Ravenclaw? Are you  _sure?_  I mean, I might not be the  _bravest,_ but-"

_"_ _HUFFLEPUFF_ _,"_  the hat insisted.

Sutton yanked the hat off her head, despite its cry of  _'careful!'_ , and sat it back on its stool.

" _Hufflepuff_ ," she complained. "I got  _Hufflepuff?_ Do you know what I've been through," she demanded. "I have dealt with being teleported for life into  _another dimension_ , I stood up to  _Loki the god of mischief_ , I have survived being  _pulled_  through time and space  _twice_  now!"

But the hat almost seemed smug in its choice.

_"Hufflepuff through and through,_

_Sincere in spirit and loyal too,_

_A heart for justice and friendly disposition,_

_Made it easy to make my decision."_

Sutton frowned at the hat and sniffed haughtily.

"Now you're just trying to show off."

But the hat quieted then and said no more and Sutton knew she couldn't convince it to change its mind. Even if she could, wouldn't that be like cheating on a  _"What House Are You In"_ quiz?

Finished with the sorting hat now, both literally and emotionally, Sutton shuffled back to the door, listened, peeked out, and started back down the stairs.

_"Hufflepuff,_ _flippin'_ _Hufflepuff,"_  she complained the entire way down. "Tony can't find out _._ He'd never let me live it down. Steve gets _Gryffindor_ ;  _Bruce gets Ravenclaw_ , I bet.  _But, nooo!_ Sutton stands up to Loki, makes it out of the Death Star _alive,_ and gets  _Hufflepuff._ "

She hopped on the balls of her feet down the last few steps and thanked the gargoyle for moving out of the way as she passed it. In the hall she froze, looked back, and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh,  _that's_ why you're a 'Puff," she said to herself.

But she had to shake off whatever disappointment she was feeling, because it wouldn't do to dwell on it. Besides, hadn't Rowling said she liked the canary yellow house best? That had to count for something. Still, Sutton pouted a bit as she tried to find her way back downstairs.

_"Loyalty is a good trait. And there's nothing wrong with a sense of justice! 'Puffs aren't dumb!_ _I'm_ _not dumb!"_

Sutton couldn't quite remember which direction she had come from as she wandered down floor after floor. All she could say for sure was that she was going  _down_. But it was also getting later, and exhaustion was setting in, as well as hunger. She couldn't quite remember the last meal she'd eaten with certainty. Sooner rather than later she'd have to find some sort of corner to curl up in. Because  _heaven knew_  she wasn't going to tough it out outdoors. Not with dangerous magical creatures and  _bugs_  running about!

Sutton rounded another corner and blinked blankly at the hall she found herself in. It was the same as any other hall in this castle and she didn't recognize it at all.

"Ok, I must have come from the... _lef-right?"_

Neither corridor was spiking any memories, so Sutton tentatively continued on towards the right.

_"_ _Right_ _-handed,_ _right_ _direction, right?"_

But she may have made a few wrong turns before this moment, honestly. It wasn't as warm or as well lit were she was now. And none of the doors she passed even resembled the grand doors that opened to the Great Hall.

But surely she couldn't run into  _too_  much trouble; not in a school. Not with the Dark Lord vanquished?

_Oh gosh, she couldn't even_ _think_ _that with a straight face!_

Sutton didn't think she could continue on much further in her current state. She was shivering in her Tatooine clothes, horribly hungry, and physically and emotionally drained. Just for a bit, she decided to rest against the stone wall to her back. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed.

"Wonderfully smart," she admonished herself. "Just think you can run around a magical castle, that's probably bigger on the inside, and  _not_  end up dying in some dark corner."

She was just considering settling down for the night and trying to escape the next morning when she heard a  _'pop'_ and startled into a standing position.

"What?"

Her eyes roved around the corridor until they landed on a small figure by her feet. Sutton could feel her own eyes bulging as she realized that she was looking upon a small house-elf. Her mouth hung open as she stared down at the creature, taking it in. It was a small thing, hardly reaching her knee, which was really saying something because Sutton's knees weren't high off the ground as it was. It had what looked like an old hand towel wrapped around itself like a toga, and a strand of twine to cinch it in at its waist. Besides the typical large ears on the sides of its head, it also had large doe-like eyes and small tufts of hair on its head that made it appear more feminine.

"Um, hello," Sutton finally managed to say.

The house-elf blinked owlishly up at her.

"Hello indeed." Its voice was high and squeaky, almost youthful sounding. "Flipsy heard a voice and came out to see who it was. Young Miss is out past curfew!"

It thought she was a student! And it was going to tattle on her!

_She was not going to be obliviated tonight!_

Sutton sucked in a worried breath and dropped down to one knee in order to be more at eye level with the tiny thing.

"Oh yes, about that, you see, it's actually an accident. I got separated and a bit lost, I'm afraid!"

The house-elf gave an  _'ah'_  of understanding and nodded her head. Her ears flopped back and forth as she did so.

"Flipsy will go fetch a professor!"

Sutton threw out both hands, palms out in a placating gesture, as the house-elf moved to snap her fingers.

"No, no, no, no! Hey, Flipsy is it? Flipsy, it's my first day here and I don't want to cause a fuss. It's hard enough making friends transferring so late in my education, you know? It would be wonderful if you could maybe just show me how to get back to the Great Hall? You seem like the kind, understanding sort, aren't you?"

Flipsy didn't quite know what to do with that statement, if her blinking and hand-wringing were any indication.

"My name is Sutton," she offered.

She was about to speak again when her stomach let out a loud gurgling that had Flipsy jumping back again.

"Did-did Miss get lost before dinner?"

"Um... _yes_ , I did, but-"

But the house-elf interrupted her with a little hop and a wave of the hand.

"Come along then! Flipsy will do her job and get Miss something to eat!"

There wasn't time to protest, and Sutton hadn't been planning on it even if she could have. Her eating habits had become far too irregular lately for her liking.

She followed Flipsy down one more set of stairs and around a couple corners until Sutton found herself before a painting of a bowl of fruit. Flipsy reached up and wiggled her long, thin fingers to tickle the pear in the bowl. Sutton watched in fascination as it began to shift and move and then  _laugh_ before transforming into a green doorknob.

Inside, it was an immense space with a large fireplace and long tables that matched those in the Great Hall. Besides that, there seemed to be an endless supply of brass pots and kettles and iron pans and all sorts of kitchen supplies. Flipsy led her over to the fireplace and snapped her fingers. Instantly a small fire crackled and popped inside it.

Sutton settled near the warmth of the fire and watched as Flipsy quickly made up a small plate for her. It could have been leftovers, could even have been throw out from the top of the trash, Sutton didn't care. It was warm and delicious. She was given roast chicken, boiled potatoes, peas, carrots, and Yorkshire pudding and it was heaven for her empty stomach. Sutton had never actually had Yorkshire pudding, so she had to ask about it, and she was a bit confused to find that it actually wasn't anything like  _pudding_  at all. It was like a bread bowl with meat and gravy inside and Sutton felt very lied to.

"Huh," she mused as she ate. "You know, I always thought this was a dessert."

Flipsy looked at her oddly.

"No Miss, not a sweet, no! Never!"

Sutton shrugged and continued to cleaned off the entire plate, licking the gravy off her fork and sighing in contentment as Flipsy snapped the plate clean and back to its shelf.

"Thank you very much," she said. "That was wonderful. Wonderful  _earth, not Tatooine_  food," she muttered under her breath.

Flipsy bowed a bit while wringing her hands.

"Miss is welcome," she said. "But Miss must now get to bed! Miss will get in trouble if Miss is found up! Flipsy  _must_  get a professor if Miss is lost."

" _Actually,_ " Sutton cut in, "I think I can find my way now!" She pointed to herself sheepishly. " _Hufflepuff._  Just around the corner!"

Flipsy was suddenly nodding again, her large bat-like ears almost heavy enough to knock her over.

"Oh yes! Miss is right, just around the corner they are! Two from the bottom, middle of the second row! Best not tap wrong though, or Miss will be sorry!"

Sutton stood up and dusted off her tunic then kneeled down and opened her arms.

"Well, thank you very much again, Flipsy! You are very kind."

But the house-elf just stared blankly at her.

"What is Miss doing?"

Blinking, Sutton looked down at her own arms and then back up.

"Well I was going to give you a hug to say  _thanks_ , but if you're not a hugger, I totally get that. Not everyone is, you know. I just thought-"

" _A hug!"_  Flipsy's voice was suddenly higher pitched than before.  _If that were possible._ "Miss wants to give Flipsy a hug! A house-elf!"

Sutton blinked a few more times in confusion, and then she remembered how sensitive house-elves tended to be and tried not to grimace.

"Well, yes," she said calmly. "I just wanted to say  _thank you_ , and this is really all I can offer to show my thanks. Um, I can just shake your hand if you'd like? Or...maybe not?"

"Miss is so kind to house elves," Flipsy declared. "Flipsy does not work for thanks! Her mother works in Hogwart's kitchen and her mother and back and back! It is an honor to work for Hogwarts, Flipsy is happy here!"

Sutton tried not to groan as the little elf went off on a tangent. Lord help her if she'd offered the poor thing something like a  _sock._

"Well I'm so glad you're treated well here." She finally stood up, feeling like the moment was over and wanting to avoid sending the poor thing into hysterics. "Thank you very much, once again. You are a very kind, very  _good_  house-elf, I can see that."

"Miss flatters Flipsy!'

With a few more calming and parting words Sutton was able to break away from the emotional house-elf and made her way down the hall. It hadn't been her intention to rile the poor thing up, and she'd had to reassure her several times that she was quite capable of finding her way now  _without_ a professors help. She actually had no intention of going to the Hufflepuff common room. First of all, she knew it was the only house with an actual defense against intruders, and she wasn't exactly sure how the knock was supposed to go.

_Was it, Hel-ga-Huff-le-puff? Or more like, Helga-Huffle-puff. Morse code maybe?_

She didn't want to risk it. Secondly, she was bound to be seen and turned in if she just tried to curl up on one of the couches. Her internal clock wasn't reliable enough to wake her up before everyone else went off to class.

Instead, she traveled until she found the very spot that hid the Hufflepuff house and studied the stack of barrels. She made a tapping motion at the middle barrel at her level without actually touching it, just in case that counted as trying to get in.

As if she didn't smell bad enough already, she didn't need to add vinegar to it.

After using the barrels as an anchor point, Sutton was able to find a small dusty corridor that looked as though it had gone unused for a long while. With an exhausted sigh, she sank down onto her side and lay still. It felt as though her muscles were pulsing under her skin and her eyes felt heavy, like they were about to fall off her face. She wasn't comfortable on the hard, cold stone floor by any means, but her need for sleep out-weighed anything else at the moment and she was able to let herself slip away for a few hours.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

"We've got another one!"

There was a commotion in Stark's lab as the three scientists rushed in a frenzy around the room. Tony was throwing data from several different holographic charts as Reed rushed to add the new incoming information to their working theories. Jane was a whirlwind of activity as well, her face betraying her sense of excitement at the new discoveries they were privy to.

"The report from the VLA came in, they picked it up too!"

"Cross reference it with the data from the last burst," Tony called out. "Start sorting the corresponding frequencies and isolating the differences."

Even Axel, who was  _still_  there, was helping. Having worked in Tony's IT department for the latter part of a year and being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, he knew his way around the software programs and other systems and could input data with the rest of them.

The data was very similar to the previous energy pulse that Sutton had unleashed. There were some differences in its sequencing, but they fully expected this as it supported their current theory. If they could just fully isolate the pattern of energy waves that Sutton emitted during travel, then they might be able to use the information Tony had acquired from their very first universal jump and pull her home.

So far, it looked promising. That in itself, though, wasn't saying too terribly much because they still had a long way to go in actually pinpointing her location in the first place. And, even once they did, she might  _pop_  away before they could even get a machine up and running and set on her coordinates.

"I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at," Axel complained. "It's like you're asking me to find what's similar between a race horse and a soup spoon. Um, there's a few fours in both sequences?"

"Yeah, please don't try with the quirky analogies. You're not very good at them. Jane?"

"I'm on it."

Jane pulled the running sequences onto her own data pad and began scanning through them. Her sharp eyes darted from number to number and once in awhile she would highlight a certain segment as if saving it to examine more thoroughly later. Instantly, Axel was forgotten as she was absorbed in her own little world of science and new unexplored knowledge.

"All right." Axel leaned back on one foot, hands on his hips and lips skewed downwards. "Have at it then, why don't you."

His words fell on deaf ears.

"You're just talking to yourself, you know," Reed pointed out mockingly. "After all this time spent in the lab, you'd think you would've caught on by now."

"As a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, I was trained to be able to focus on the mission  _and_  be aware of what was happening around me."

"As a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, you were trained to be  _annoying_ ," Tony jabbed.

Reed laughed lightly at the jesting while still scanning through their new data and tinkering with some machinery.

Jane was pulled out of her intense scrutiny of their data, though whether it was from their chatter or her own revelations no one knew.

"Hey, I think we need to look more into trying to decrypt this energy burst using the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Tony, you'd said when we first started that Sutton  _was_ the energy blast. And I think you may have been more spot on than you realized."

Tony leaned back against one of the many tables set up through out the room and pulled out a bag of jelly beans from seemingly nowhere. He popped a few in his mouth before speaking.

"Go on."

"Well, the principle states that photons exist as particles  _and_  waves, and can change each time you observe them because your observation affects them. Obviously Sutton isn't photons, but if we applied this same idea-"

"Then it would explain how Sutton is actually traveling from universe to universe," Tony cut in while snapping his fingers.

The three scientists stood in awe of such a revelation, but Axel frowned, arms crossed.

"I don't get it. What is that supposed to mean?"

Reed explained the theory in different terms.

"Basically, if this theory is correct, then we aren't just studying information from the blast Sutton is giving off. Sutton  _is_  the sequence. Her body is changing forms, becoming this...this  _raw_  energy."

They all sat in a contemplative silence as that idea sunk in.

"Wow," Axel finally blurted out. "That's...crazy. Still have no idea how that's supposed to help us."

Tony threw up his hands in frustration, turning and the heel of his foot and taking his jelly beans with him as moved across the room. Even Reed lifted and eyebrow sardonically, as if confused as to how any of this could be considered complex at all. Jane's eyes were back on her data pad, but she rambled more explanations to Axel as if his statement had invited them.

"Well, you see, if we're studying the molecular structure of two different versions of the same..."

Axel was getting a bit tired of working with a team of super geniuses.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton stretched awake slowly. Her limbs were stiff and frozen and she winced as she tried to get blood rushing in them once again. It took great effort, but she managed to push herself up to her feet even while shivering, and she peered out a small window a bit down the hall. The sun was still pale in the sky and there was a layer of fog hanging over the ground. Sutton groaned, trying to massage a biting strain in her neck.

She was hungry again. And in desperate need of a bath. Also, just maybe a touch bit grouchy now after such a horrid nights sleep. With heavy footsteps Sutton trudged down the hall, one hand on the stone wall to keep her upright. Past the kitchen she shuffled upstairs until she proudly found herself back on the same floor as the Great Hall. There was a low murmuring from all sides as she stood still that suddenly exploded into noise as students came pouring down stairs and around corridors to gather for breakfast.

_That woke Sutton up a bit._

Ducking behind another wall, she tried to remain mostly out of sight. It was a bit difficult, though, when the dorms were located all around the castle. She was chewing on her bottom lip when the revelation that  _everyone would be at breakfast_ and so the common rooms would be  _empty_  struck her. Suddenly hopeful, Sutton trekked  _back_  down towards the kitchens and waited until no one had exited the Hufflepuff common room for almost half an hour. And then she decided to just go for it.

She stunk to high heaven and she was desperate. Besides, how many tunes to "Helga Hufflepuff" could there really possibly be?

Cautiously, Sutton found the barrel that was two from the bottom, middle of the second row and went with her gut instincts.

_Knock-knock, knock-knock-knock._

And then she cringed and waited.

_Let it open, let it open! She_ _had_ _to have done it right!_

A miracle happened, or perhaps her own belief, and it opened without fuss! Sutton gave a high pitched giggle and crawled through the barrel and followed it down. At the other end of the tunnel it opened into a large, round room decorated in yellows and blacks. Plants coated the walls and hung in pots from the ceiling. Wondrous plants, ones she'd never seen before and ones that wouldn't exist anywhere but this world. She knew she was underground, but it was still warm and cozy and reminded her quite a bit of what a Hobbit hole might look like, if they had magic.

Not wasting any time, just in case someone came back, Sutton ran to find the girls bathroom. The first round door she opened revealed a hall that led to bedrooms, and the next after and after, but finally she found it!

Now she just had to hope that one of these 'Puffs were too terribly trusting and left shower supplies out. Normally, Sutton wasn't one for stealing, but at the moment she was at the end of her rope. Her skin and scalp were starting to itch horridly, and she could still smell where the water from the garbage compactor on the Death Star had splashed on her clothes.

"Sorry," she said when she found a shampoo bottle left on the counter. "I owe you one, house sister."

She was able to find a few other items to help her get clean. One girl had left out a brush, and Sutton put the poor thing to work as she attempted to regain control of her hair. She really did feel bad that a few of the bristles broke in the struggle.

When she was finally washed as well as she was able considering the circumstances, Sutton regretfully redressed in her dirty tunic and breeches and crawled back out of the common room out into the hall.

The moment Sutton had stepped from the barrel entrance and had both feet planted firmly planted on the floor she felt a chill go up her back. If her hair hadn't still been wet it would have bristled on the back of her neck. Turning around slowly, a small shape close to the ground caught her eye and every muscle in her body tensed.

It was a cat.

It was a thin cat,its fur a bland brown color, like dust, and it had huge eyes that were currently staring up at her unblinkingly. Sutton sucked in a harsh breath and felt her heart speed up.

_"Mrs. Norris."_

At hearing her own name, the cat tilted her head as if curious and then turned and dashed out of the hall. Sutton's feet flew in the opposite direction.

_Filch stays after the war! Dang it! Dang it, dang it, dang it!_

Just a few steps in the wrong direction, and Sutton had no idea where she was again. She hadn't even done well finding her way around her own high school her freshman year. She didn't stand a chance with this place. Despite that fact, she kept running. Because she knew that when Mrs. Norris scampered off, Argus Filch wasn't far behind, war over or no.

Another wrong turn and Sutton found herself at a dead end corridor. Running her hands through her still wet hair, she frantically gazed at the wall before her.

_"No, no, no, no, no."_

With shaking hands, she felt around desperately at the stones hoping there'd be  _something._  But nothing gave and now she  _knew_  she could hear pounding footsteps coming closer to her. They were actually quite irregular and offbeat.

_Filch really needed to develop some correct running techniques._

Sutton could suddenly hear haggard breath along with the staggering footsteps and she scrunched up her face in anxious anticipation. It was then, when she thought that this was it, _she was busted,_  that she suddenly felt herself being yanked backwards. She opened her eyes only to find herself in a dimly lit,  _well_ , some sort of room. The dim light was coming from two glowing orbs on either side of her.

"What?"

"Well, well," came from her left. "So this is the mystery person running about Hogwarts."

"I have to admit, I was expecting someone a bit  _more_ ," came from her right.

Sutton couldn't see much past the lights on either side of her, but she didn't really need to. She recognized those voices. And those voices meant that she had been  _very, very_ wrong in her estimation of her place in this timeline. Sutton cursed under her breath.

_"Oh sweet baby Merlin."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think of Sutton's house placement? Agree? Disagree? Let me know! :)


	9. Seeing Double and Getting in Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton discovers who saved her from Filch. Loki speaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry to keep you all waiting; I would have posted last week, but I was on vacation. (For the first time in almost 10 years!)

Sutton stood frozen as the realization of just who she had been saved by sunk in.

"Come on-" came the voice on her left again.

"-Filch knows these secret tunnels too-"

"-Wouldn't do to get caught!"

She found herself suddenly being ushered down a series of tunnels and away from the dead end hall she'd been trapped in.

Before she could formulate a solid protest, they were out of the tunnels and emerging near the Great Hall. Out in the light, Sutton whipped around to face her saviors.

_"Oh boy._ "

Either her vision was going wonky, or there were two of them.

_The Weasley twins._

They were younger than her, obviously, but taller than her still. Which, admittedly, wasn't that much of an accomplishment, but it was still something she noted. Their hair was shorter, and a vibrant red, and they definitely had more freckles than the actors that portrayed them.

Her lower jaw hinged open and closed a few times before she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"You're still in school?"

"Still?"

"Should we not be?"

Sutton cringed and refrained from smacking herself in the face.

"Er, uh, of course, I just meant, uh, I thought you were someone else? How did you two find me, anyway?"

Sutton didn't miss how one of the twins, she wasn't quite sure which was which, patted at his robe subtly. They probably had the Marauder''s Map.

"We've got ways," said one of the twins.

"The real question is, _who are you-"_

"-and what are you doing here?"

"You're definitely not Hogwarts age."

_Were they saying she looked old! She could probably still play a high-schooler on some teen drama if she wanted to!_

But a solid answer was evading her completely. Luckily one of the twins looked up suddenly towards the doors of the Great Hall.

"Come on, we're going to miss the rest of breakfast!"

And without any warning, Sutton felt a hand around her wrist and found herself being forcefully towed into the cafeteria space.

She could actually feel the blood draining from her face.

"Oh, no, no, no!"

But it was too late. Sutton found herself being dragged to the Gryffindor table and sat down promptly between the twins.

"Go on, then."

"Dig in."

"It's good stuff."

"But the smell of your robes is spoiling it a bit."

The smell of warm breakfast, ignoring her tunic, _was_ a very tempting motivator, and she was too terrified to dare looking up at the professor's table. She was hunched over the table, trying in vain to make herself as small as possible. As if her beige tunic wasn't a bright beacon among a sea of black. The children around the table were giving her odd looks which only made her blush harder.

"Oi, who's your new mate?"

"And why isn't she in uniform?"

Sutton shoveled an entire scone in her mouth and sunk down further.

"And why didn't she use a drying spell on her hair? She's obviously old enough to know one."

Sutton finally looked up in a glare.

"Because it would frizz beyond belief, you little McNugget. I can hear you, you know. And I just happen to speak English."

She didn't actually know if her hair would frizz under such circumstances, but it seemed like a good enough answer. And she _hated_ when people talked about her as if she wasn't there.

_Then again, most people hated that._

"Blimey, you one of those witches from the west?"

"Oh yeah," Sutton smirked. "The _Wicked_ Witch of the West, they call me."

A few of the kids looked instantly concerned, but a few started snickering in amusement and understanding of her joke.

"Why're you here? You look too old to be a seventh year."

Once again, Sutton was saved from answering; this time by breakfast ending. In a panic, Sutton shoved as much food into her mouth as possible, chewed twice, and swallowed. Fred and George looked at her with arched brows.

"They serve lunch too, you know."

"Yeah, you were lucky enough to show up on the week that they feed us."

Sutton gave them a face that said she was clearly not amused, and waited for them to get up and start moving away from the table. She tried to slip away as the mass of children left the cafeteria when they were a few feet away, but the twins were quicker and looped their arms through hers.

"Not leaving so soon?"

"You're the most interesting thing that's happened all year!"

"Sneaking through the school and such!"

Sutton shot both of them a droll look.

"It's only the second day at Hogwarts."

"Well, we didn't say-"

"-school year, did we?"

They were almost to the doors and Sutton was gnawing her bottom lip and growing agitated in her anxiety.

"Listen here, Fred, George, if you don't let me go-"

"Mr. and Mr. Weasley," a voice rang out among the hum of the crowd. "A moment, please!"

The boys ground to a stop, halting her with them. Sutton did attempt taking a few steps without them, but they still had their arms looped around hers and simply lifted her marginally up off the floor.

_It was so wrong. They were younger than her. They shouldn't be able to lift her up so easily. Ugh, talk about degrading._

"You too, Miss."

Sutton groaned herself, causing both twins to shoot her a look.

The trio turned as one and Sutton found herself looking up to the one-and-only Professor McGonagall.

_"Oh dear,"_ she muttered under her breath.

Professor McGonagall was peering down at them through her small spectacles and frowning. She gave Sutton a thorough once over and then locked eyes sternly with her.

"I don't believe I've seen you before, Miss...?"

McGonagall, one of Sutton's favorite professors, certainly lived up to her character. Sutton was practically fidgeting under her sharp, scolding gaze which held no sign of the warmth she knew the woman's gaze could have.

All-in-all, Sutton was surprised at how similar McGonagall resembled Dame Maggie Smith. The woman before her might have had a bit darker hair, face a bit thinner, but Sutton was able to recognize her right away.

"Well?" The professor looked to the two trouble makers, but they just shrugged.

"No idea," said the one on her left.

"We never got around to introductions..."

The statement trailed off a bit and both boys gave her pointed looks, their eyes glinting with renewed interest. Sutton was internally slapping herself in the face.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! You used their names! Why can't you just shut your mouth for once!_

"Oh, um, I'm Sutton, _hi_ ," Sutton explained, still hanging stupidly from the twins arms. She gave a feeble wave. "And I'm just, uh, _visiting_. Leaving today, actually! I just, uh, I- I told my brother I'd watch his sorting ceremony! So proud of him, got Ravenclaw. He really is smart, did you know-"

"Miss Sutton," McGonagall snapped, "we do not-"

She paused as she seemed to suddenly notice how the twins had effectively trapped Sutton and prevented her escape.

"You two put this woman down immediately and continue on to your classes!"

Fred and George looked to each other, disappointment in missing out on the current trouble clear in their expressions, but put her down as told.

"We'll see you around."

Sutton _still_ wasn't sure who was who. But they both gave her a parting wink.

"Ta!"

She watched them swagger off, not realizing just how nervous she actually was until they were out of sight. Begrudgingly, she turned back to McGonagall.

"As I was saying, we do _not_ authorize family at the sorting ceremony. How did you get past the wards?"

"Oh, really," Sutton wrung her hands together down by her waist. "I didn't know that. My school in America totally did. Or, I mean, the ones I knew about did."

" _Miss-_ "

Sutton tapped one foot against the back of her other heel and eased backwards.

"You know, I can see that I'm causing trouble, and I am terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, so I'll just be off then!"

Sutton spun around on her heel only to immediately backpedal and let out a startled yelp.

"Snape!"

If Sutton had thought herself in a pickle before, she was feeling an immense dread now. The pale-skinned, greasy-haired, black-robed man stood towering over her. People seemed to be towering over her a lot lately and she didn't like it.

_Huh. He looked_ _ exactly _ _like Alan Rickman. Go figure._

Shrinking back and curling away, like some rapidly wilting flower, Sutton felt her face cool dramatically as her tongue seemed to go numb. Snape arched one eyebrow high on his forehead and dragged his eyes up to meet McGonagall.

"Is there... _a problem?_ "

_Good gosh, he had the voice too. Why wouldn't he?_

McGonagall, for whatever it was worth, didn't appear to be exactly thrilled at Snape's sudden arrival either.

"That's what I'm trying to sort out, Professor Snape," she said briskly.

"No, no problem! Just shove me through the front door! Maybe a portkey home and I'll be on my way! Wouldn't want to distract the children from learning, after all!"

But all she succeeded in doing was drawing attention back to herself. Snape was once again glaring down his nose at her.

"We have not met before," he said. "But you know my name."

Sutton was pulling at straws here. Really. Why hadn't she gotten Natasha to give her a few lessons on lying and quick thinking? Tony, maybe. Steve might have even been better at lying than her!

Well, maybe.

"Well, _of course_ ," she tried to deflect. "My family wouldn't have sent my brother to a school across the sea without knowing who the professors were first!"

"And...just what family _do_ you come from?"

Sutton grit her teeth without realizing it and narrowed her eyes.

"The Regans," she said flatly. "Though I'm not sure what that could possibly mean to you."

The only thing she could hope was that wizards didn't pay much attention to their cousins across the water. But they must have misheard her, because McGonagall suddenly perked up.

"Reagan? My dear, well of course we would know of your family. I'm surprised the muggles on your side believed their president survived that muggle weapon inflicted wound without the help of medical magic, to be honest."

"What? No-"

"I do not remember hearing of such a prominent transfer student," Snape drawled. "Nor do I understand why a witch from a powerful house would dress... _thusly._ "

Sutton was still trying to recover from the revelation that the Reagans had actually been a ranking wizarding family in the States.

At least in this world.

_The U.S. had a wizard president? And a wizard film star, for that matter?_

"I-uh- it's been a rough week, ok? But look, I'm trying to get out of your hair. I'm not a student _or_ a child, so if you don't mind..."

She made a swinging motion with her arms, and made to move away but was once again halted.

"That may be so," McGonagall agreed. "But you are also on our school grounds without permission or explanation. Now please, follow me."

And with that McGonagall began to glide out of the Great Hall and into the main corridor.

"I think I have it from here, thank you, Severus."

Sutton really didn't have much of a choice. She ducked down while passing a glaring, and still very suspicious, Snape and followed obediently after McGonagall.

_There were way too many people in this dimension that were suspicious of her now. She needed to be a bit more on guard._

"Where are we going?"

The witch didn't even look over her shoulder.

"To the Headmaster's office."

_This day wasn't going well at all, and it was only just after breakfast._

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

The council had been reconvened and Loki now sat at the table with the other elders across from Odin. There were guards of course, it would have been stupid of them not to have them; but he was out of his prison cell and able to speak amongst the people with his own voice instead of through the rumors of others. The rumors had served their purpose, had thoroughly prepped the people with panic and dissension, and now Loki had come to reap his reward.

The livid scowl smeared across Odin's face sung of the fact that he had only let his son out as a desperate last resort to calm the common folk. His mother, as well, might have urged for his release, just to quiet the hysteria that had been rapidly swelling.

"Well," Odin spoke, "here he is. You now have your _noble murderer_. So let us hear this great plan. What have you to say, Loki?"

Loki stood slowly, not breaking his eye-contact with Odin as he did so. A confident smirk graced his face that he didn't feel inclined to smooth away. His wrists were still shackled together, and he held his arms loosely in front of him as he addressed the group.

"Of course, _Allfather,_ " Loki practically purred. He turned slightly, so that it was plain that he was also addressing the elders who were wiling to listen. "My transgressions against Asgard, as well as Midgard, are no secret," he began. "I _do_ fully regret them, and while I may not have had _full_ capacity of my mind, I still take all responsibility."

His sharp gaze shot up to Odin, seeming to flicker a moment as he searched the king's face, and then hardened at the unwavering, stoic expression he received.

"I do hope to atone for my sins, and begin building a new foundation of trust with battling this new obstacle to Yggdrasil's peace."

"Your _council_ ," Odin reminded flatly. "The people's insistence that you had some unknown truths into this so-called _imminent attack_ is the only reason you are out of your cell."

"The informant who warned myself and _Thor_ of the threat of Malekith was, I know, trustworthy," Loki drawled.

And so Loki stood before the council and smoothly spoke of what Sutton had known, of the threat Malekith could pose if left not dealt with, of what the repercussions would be if Asgard were struck without warning. And he spoke of which actions he believed Asgard should take to ensure the people's safety. Of how to best position their troops, to deflect attacks, of his theories on how to keep from ever needing to fight at all. By the time he was done weaving his tale and tossing out battle strategy the majority of the councilmen's eyes were gleaming with admiration and Odin was silent. There was a look in the king's eyes that said he was impressed with the thought put into Loki's speech, but it was overridden by suspicion and an already settling bitterness.

"You have thought long about this, I see," Odin acknowledged. "And yet that still does not explain how an extinct race plans to assault our boarders."

To that, Loki tilted in head in acquiesce.

" _How_ , I cannot say. But I will say this, we know that the Aether itself was not destroyed. Nor can it be. And with The Convergence drawing nearer, I do not believe it would be wise to doubt that a few Dark Elves could have survived the battle as well."

"I agree, Allfather." One of the councilmen stood up. "While Loki alone may not be a reliable source, Thor, too, believes the threat to be real. And for a mortal woman to have such knowledge of events and names she should not know... I move that we begin acting on Loki's plan."

The councilman was supported by a majority of the room, though there were obviously still some who would sooner have Loki executed than put in any place of authority. Imagined or not.

But as Loki's plan was backed by most of Odin's council, and was certain to reassure the rest of the people of Asgard's continued safety, Odin was backed into a corner. His posture was straight and stiff, his jaw set, as he gave his decree.

"Very well then, so be it. I will allow a part of your strategy to be enacted, but know this, Loki, you still have not been pardoned."

Loki bowed, though he did not lower his head as he did so, and he was grinning the entire time.

"Of course. I look forward to keeping the peace in Asgard. As well as beyond, into Yggdrasil's branches."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton found herself once again staring into the stony face of Dumbledore's gargoyle. She could hear McGonagall mutter the password quietly and followed the teacher up the stone steps, climbing up and up.

_Oh gosh. Don't let the hat say anything. Or the portraits. Or the bird. Oh gosh, what if they already told?_

At the top of the stairs, McGonagall knocked on the door three times and waited for a response. Sutton wasn't as thrilled to see the Headmaster's office a second time. She was never one to be sent to the principal's office, but she imagined that this is what it might have felt like.

_On the bright side, though, you get to meet Dumbledore!_

She wondered if she could convince him to let her take some sort of souvenir with her when she left. If she put something in her pocket, she _might_ be able to take it back to the Marvel universe with her. Or at least, she hoped. After all, she _was_ still wearing her Tatootine clothes, so she could obviously bring things over from other universes.

She was standing to the right of Professor McGonagall waiting for Dumbledore to make his great appearance. As they waited, she noticed out of her peripheral vision the professor make a face of distaste.

"My dear girl," McGonagall finally said, her noise crinkling up. "I assume they still have _hygiene_ in America. The least you could do is scourgify your robes."

"Well, I-"

"Here, before the Headmaster comes."

McGonagall pulled her wand out of her robe sleeve and deftly pointed it at Sutton while saying,

"Scourgify!"

And just like that, the smell and dirt from the garbage compactor was instantly gone from the rough fabric she'd been stewing in. Sutton couldn't help the large grin that came across her face.

"Ah! So cool!"

"Surely, a witch of your age would have lost her wonder over spells as simple and dull as _scourgify."  
_

Sutton's head snapped up at the new voice, her poorly drying curls springing wildly about her. The door had opened and Dumbledore stood up by his wooden desk and was looking down at her, eyes twinkling just like the books said they did. Sutton found herself feeling suddenly speechless, and a bit shy. Shyness wasn't something she found herself experiencing often. Frustration, awe, brain farts? Sure, she had plenty of that. But not shyness. But this was Dumbledore! And that made this different. Besides, she could practically _feel_ the magic compressed in the room now.

Eventually, she realized the two magic people were waiting for her response, and she tried to come up with a decent response.

"Oh, well, I think all magic is amazing all the time."

"Is that so?"

"Headmaster," McGonagall hedged. "I found this girl in the Great Hall this morning accompanied by the _Weasley_ twins. She claims that she came to see her brother's sorting ceremony, and that she is from the Reagan family."

"I didn't-"

"An American witch then."

"Well, I'm not-"

"Tell me, how did you get on the grounds without a Hogwarts ticket?"

Sutton froze up as McGonagall turned towards her, one eyebrow raised as if to say,

_"Yes, please do explain that little detail."_

Her blood was rushing further and further from her face the longer she took to respond. What could she really say? She had no broom. She wasn't a student. She didn't even have anything she could pretend was a portkey.

"I, uh, well, um, I...hitched...a ride?"

The statement, if it could as pass as that, hung in the air a bit before McGonagall suddenly looked put out.

"Are you trying to tell me, Miss Reagan, that you rode in that metal contraption being driven by two _twelve year old_ boys?"

Sutton was squinting her eyes in confusion when it suddenly hit her.

"Ron and Harry? The car? _Oh no._ "

"No? You didn't?"

The two older adults were still staring at her, and Sutton tried to recover.

_Not that she really could at this point._

"I did not know they were _twelve!_ " She let out a forceful, nervous laugh but no one else joined in. "I thought they, uh, at least had their learners permit for a flying car. Normal regulation, you know!"

Dumbledore was looking at her oddly, as if she were suddenly a new puzzle or unusual.

"Where is your wand, Miss Reagan," he asked.

Sutton panicked momentarily. She was wondering if it was too late to tell everyone that her last name was actually _Regan_. And then she came up with the brilliant _sort of_ truth that could save her in the future from any obliviation.

She hoped.

"I'm actually a squib, sir."

Four brows were raised at that proclamation and Sutton felt the need to further clarify. As if it would help.

"And I'm not actually a Reagan. My last name is _Regan._ I know it's similar, so it's easy to confuse. Besides, I'm not even sure if President Reagan has anymore living descendants."

"Well of course not _muggle_ ones," McGonagall scoffed.

Dumbledore directed his attention to McGonagall and smiled cheerfully.

"I do believe you have a transfiguration class waiting for you, Minerva. Thank you for bringing young Miss _Regan_ to my attention. I'll take care of her for you from here."

"Of course. Thank you, Albus."

Sutton studied the Headmaster as he moved around his desk after McGonagall left. His beard was pure white, but long, so that he couldn't quite remind her of Santa Claus. He had the more youthful look of the second actor to play the character, but had the distinct visible wisdom of the first.

_God rest his soul._

His robes looked fine crafted, and flowed down elegantly over his feet, putting Sutton's own _"robes"_ to shame. He really was fabulous, actually.

Sitting down in his own chair, he gestured to one of the chairs across from his desk and invited her to sit. Sutton did so hesitantly.

"Lemon sherbet?"

Sutton actually accepted one, because she was never one to pass up free candy. And also, she could now say that she accepted candy from Albus Dumbledore and win at any argument she ever had in the future.

"Now, Miss Regan," he began. "I can't help but wonder, if you _did_ arrive with two of my students _yesterday evening_ , where exactly did you stay? Surely it must have struck you as odd that there were no guest rooms."

Sutton found herself stumped for a believable lie once again. Because really, _she would have found that odd._ But before she found the awkward silence forced her to give _some sort_ of answer, he continued on.

"And I feel I must be frank with you. I had some word of your presence before Professor McGonagall brought you before me."

He glanced downwards and behind her and Sutton swiveled slightly to see the Sorting Hat. She turned back around cringed.

"This is not the first time you've seen this office, is it?"

Sutton was practically sweating now. Her face was undeniably red and she was twisting her hands around each other anxiously.

"Well, I can explain, you see... This is really a big misunderstanding... I mean, I'm sure we'll all laugh about this later..."

"The Sorting Hat said something about you having an odd aura of...a magic- _like_ quality. Can you explain that?"

Sutton knew the answer to _that_ question at least.

"Not really, sir, no."

If Dumbledore thought that she might be muggle at all, he didn't say

"What can you explain, then?"

Normally, if anyone else would have phrased a question like that, Sutton would have taken it as a sign of annoyance or exasperation. But Dumbledore hadn't sounded frustrated with her. Just curious. She let her shoulders relax slightly and sighed with a small cough of a laugh.

"Not a lot, I'm afraid. But my life has kind of been like that for awhile now. I can say that I really didn't mean to end up here. Sorry for disrupting your school. I'm just trying to get...well, I guess it's home."

"I see," he said simply. He then clasped his hands together and propped his chin up on his fingers. "I could provide you with a portkey."

Sutton just smiled a bit sadly and shook her head.

"I really wish you could."

Something made her feel like he already suspected that answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Also, I just had a question. Would anyone be interested in participating in a "Universal" themed art/lit contest via deviantart? I was thinking about hosting one, but am not sure if there'd be enough interest for one. If you are interested, let me know and I'll see about starting one! (There would obviously be prizes. Leave a note on deviantart if there are particular prizes you'd be interested in. Ex: points, commissions, getting to create an oc to appear in the story, etc.)


	10. Just A Sluggin' Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton intervenes and then goes shopping.

Sutton couldn't believe her luck. Couldn't believe that she'd ever feel the urge to plant a kiss on the cheek of Albus Dumbledore and then hug him into oblivion. (She'd always seen him as a tad bit irresponsible with children, as it were.) But he'd been a saint with the lack of information she'd given him and told her that she could stay with Hagrid if she helped around the grounds.

It was almost too good to be true. Actually, maybe it was. Maybe the old Headmaster was just keeping her nearby to keep tabs on her and find out her secret. Honestly, she wouldn't put it passed him. Still, she wasn't going to pass up such accommodations, as she had zero other options.

Her last main concern, before leaving Dumbledore's office, had been the issue of meals. The many mentions of Hagrid's rock cakes in the books had sifted to the forefront of her mind. And no matter how vague and casual she'd tried to phrase the question, she'd still noticed the curious gleam her concern had brought to Dumbledore's eyes. He'd assured her that she could join the rest of the staff in the staff room for daily meals.

Now she was trekking down a grassy knoll, following an orb of light that was supposed to lead her to Hagrid's hut. She'd been supplied with a small back-  _wait. No. This is England- knapsack_ , in which she'd been given a few necessary everyday items and a couple more robes appropriate for outdoor work. She really could almost cry in gratefulness.

Finally Hagrid's hut was within view and Sutton found herself rushing ahead of the now unnecessary orb, and grinning at the pumpkin patch beside the abode. It was a bit small of a structure, she thought, for someone who was part giant, but it seemed homey enough. There were all sorts of plant life around it; she recognized some nettle solely from her time spent on Pottermore.

The stone of the hut seemed only marginally younger than the stones of the castle, with bits of it chipping away and signs of weather wear were clear. And it  _smelled_. There was the scent of vegetables and a new fire, along with what Sutton could only guess as  _creature._ What kind, she couldn't say. It had the musk she'd come to associate with petting zoos and fairs, but there was a foreign tang with it that was new to her.

She knocked on the front door firmly three times and then took a step back and waited as she heard a rustling from inside. Her eyes gleamed a bit as the door opened and she craned her head back to try and make eye contact with the half-giant.

"Oh, er, 'ello."

Hagrid was precisely as Sutton had imagined him to be. Which, was to say, he almost exactly resembled his film adaptation. Even if his face was different from the actor's, she couldn't tell beneath his massive black beard and wild hair. Sutton smiled and threw out her hand.

"Hello! My name's Sutton; Dumbledore sent me!"

She passed the note that had been written on her behalf over unceremoniously and waited again as Hagrid blinked a few times in confusion before taking it and reading it over.

"An assistant," he finally said in awe. " 'fer me? Bu' I ne 'r asked fer one. Don' really need one either, no offense. Did'n think I did ter bad of 'a job 'round here."

"You do a great job," Sutton quickly reassured. "Dumbledore's actually helping  _me_ 's hard to get work as a squib, you know."

Yeah, she'd totally decided that was her official cover story now. It was brilliant, if she did say so herself. It explained all the information she had about this world (or at least the knowledge of magic), while also covering up her clear lack of magic itself.

_Smooth, Sutton. You're getting better at this._

Hagrid suddenly looked sympathetic. She saw his eyebrows rise up and his mouth twitch down.

"Well, where 're my manners? Come in, come in."

Sutton stepped through the only door to the hut and into a wall of warm air. It smelled earthy, like dirt and musk, joined with the sharp scent of salted meat.

Sutton shuffled forward and sat in the seat offered to her as Hagrid put a kettle on the fire. He moved about the hut and busied himself with readying a couple of tea cups, a small pitcher of cream, and a pot of honey. He placed all the additions and cups on an old, scratched tray and placed it on the round table that took up most of the room.

Sutton smiled in thanks and watched as Hagrid sank into the chair opposite her, watching the fire until the kettle began to whistle shrilly.

"Well, now, so yer here fer a job, then, aye?"

Reaching for her own cup, Sutton added a shot of cream to her freshly poured tea and stirred with a delicate spoon.

"Yup," she said. "At least for a little while. Life's been kinda weird lately. Well, the last year or so, actually. Anyway," she paused to take a sip of her tea, "whatever you need me to do, I'll do."

Hagrid took a large swallow of his own tea and responded initially with a grunt of acknowledgement.

" 'Spose I could use a helpin' han' here 'n there," he said.

Sutton gave him a wide grin at that.

"An' if Dumbledore recommends ye, ye must be 'a good person."

"I try," Sutton chirped. "But, if nothing else, you'll have a conversation partner during the day."

Hagrid just smiled.

 

Sutton was once again attempting to settle into some sort of routine. Her initial excitement at being in the world of Harry Potter was still helping a bit to keep her ever present anxiety away. It also helped that Hagrid kept her fairly busy.  _And informed._ Any question she asked had him spouting off a jet stream of knowledge about any magical creature they encountered, or about the Forbidden Forest nearby, or wizard life in general. He didn't seem to think it odd that she was asking so much, given that she was supposed to be a squib. But Sutton figured that she could make up a story about her family being ashamed of her and sending her to live with a secret muggle relative if ever questioned about her ignorance.

The lie would be worth it too, because she was getting to learn all sorts of things about Grindylows and Hunkypucks and all sorts of dragons. At her enthusiasm over dragons, Hagrid even let slip that he'd had a dragon, a Hungarian Horntail, named Norbit. He'd spoken fondly of the beast, a tear forming at his eye, and then he came back to himself and made her swear not to tell of the story to anyone.

The first student she actually got the opportunity to see was Ginny Weasley. Sutton had forgotten the books mention of the young girl's stalking attempt.

She was so small and jumpy, Sutton wondered how the girl ever transformed into the Ginny from the later books.

That Saturday Sutton, very much aware of what was about to happen, made it a point to start out for the Qudditch field. It was too early for her liking, especially for the weekend, but she wanted to see all the little magical runts and maybe get to box Draco around a bit for his horrid brattiness.

_It really was a shame that she came when they were all still young._

Sutton was adorned in the practical clothes of a laborer, durable and thick and fairly bland in color, and the only shoes she had now were a pair of dragon hide boots.

She wasn't quite sure about the idea of skinning dragons, what with them being so  _incredibly non-existent_  to her and all, but figured it must be like cow leather to wizards.

After becoming accustomed to the nicer workwear being employed by Tony afforded, it was an adjustment to wear such rough fabric regularly.

_That cashmere sweater she wore for Christmas sounded nice right about now_.  _Especially in the chilly morning air._

The sun was up but a mist was still settled over the ground as far as she could see. The world still had a bit of that grayish-blue tint to it in the distance, though it was already starting to burn off slowly. The Quidditch hoops soared high above her as she neared the field, and she could now hear the murmur of high pitched voices, when suddenly a deeper voice rang out in the air.

"-our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Sutton pushed herself faster as she marched across the grass. This was it! She tilted her chin up and puffed out her chest and tried to generally appear more adult-like in order to do what needed to be done next. Rounding a bend and finally passing beneath high bleachers, she could see two gangs of children forming across from each other.

"-got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.  _'I, Professor S. Snape-'"_

Sutton slowed her pace a bit, unwilling to be seen just yet, and tried to remember how long this little spitting contest went on for.

Shortly, a flash of red caught her eye and she looked to the side to see two children jogging across the field. One was a boy, tall for his age and thin, with shockingly red hair. The other was a small girl, bundled up warmly with a mass of brown frizz bursting out of a knit hat. Sutton grinned and moved a few steps closer.

_Should she interrupt now? Or let things play out?_

Shaking her head, she grit her teeth lightly and berated herself.

_Of course she shouldn't interrupt things. Not supposed to meddle! Don't meddle! She shouldn't even be here in the first place!_

But Sutton still watched attentively as the two children joined the group and took up positions next to a small boy with jet black hair.

_Holy mother of wizards! Harry Potter himself!_

Oh! And there was a blond boy sneering across from them. Nasty little Draco Malfoy!

_"-filthy little Mudblood."_

Sutton suddenly sprang into action, reacting on impulse alone. Children were lunging viciously at each other and young Ron Weasley had whipped out his wand with a,

_"You'll play for that one, Malfoy!"_

Sutton's babysitting experience kicked in and she barked out an authoritative, " _hey_ ", but it was too late to stop Ron's curse.

At hearing an outsider's rebuke, the children broke quickly apart,  _probably fearing a professor_ , looking around from whomever had called out. Most of the children spotted her, but that didn't stop them from being distracted by Ron beginning to spew slugs onto the grass. The Slytherins began guffawing loudly on the lawn while Harry and Hermione attempted to attend to Ron's poor state. Seeing the trio together tugged at Sutton's heart, and she turned a mean glare at Draco.

_How many kids had teased her in school? For not having a dad, for not getting the latest toys, for wearing secondhand clothes?_

Her face was suddenly hot.

"Draco Malfoy! You nasty little, snot-nosed inbred!"

The volume of her voice and hostile nature of her statement drew attention back to her and away from Ron's belching as wide eyes met her.

"Excuse me?"

Gosh, even his high-pitched little voice was annoying right now, British accent or no.

"You heard me, you little warthog-faced buffoon. Where'd you think you come off making fun of people who may or may not be less fortunate, huh?"

Draco's face scrunched up in distaste and confusion, the field was quiet save for Hermione's murmurings of reassurance and Ron's gagging.

"How do you know my name? I've never even seen you before."

Sutton rolled her eyes, her hands landing on her hips.

"Please. Sneering face, off-putting disposition, albino-like complexion; it's obvious you're a Malfoy."  
Her eyes flickered back as she noticed Harry and Hermione trying to help Ron up to his feet, supporting him on their shoulders.

"Now you're lucky I don't report you to a professor for that kind of language," she said while shooting Draco another glare for good measure. "You better watch yourself, you just might regret your series of bad life choices one day."

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but Sutton turned flippantly on her heel and marched over to Ron before he could get a word out.

"Here," she said. "Let me help."

Ron, already tall for his age, was almost as tall as she was and she had to heft him high up on her shoulder to support most of his weight.

"Oi! It's  _her_  again!"

"C'mon, Fred!"

Sutton groaned under her breath then yelped in surprise as Ron spat up another slug. It dribbled out from his lips and squelched as it plopped onto the ground near her feet.

"Oh man, that is sick, kid," she said. "Too bad it didn't quite work on its intended target."

But Ron wasn't much in the mood for having a conversation about where his spell went wrong.

"Who're you," a small, curious voice suddenly spoke up from her side. Sutton looked down and grinned as she saw the messy-haired Harry Potter. His eyes were green like they were supposed to be!

"My name's Sutton," she said. "I'm helping Hagrid around the grounds this year."

"Hagrid has an assistant now," Hermione questioned.

"Uh, sorta. I needed a job and Dumbledore was nice enough to let me stay."

She could suddenly feel the presence of more bodies behind her and shot a look backwards. The twins were following and sparing her curious expressions. There was a little flutter in her gut because she was pretty sure they weren't supposed to be heading to Hagrid's at this point.

"You're not supposed to be here," she blurted out.

The twins raised a brow in sync and looked at each other.

"I do believe that's the second time she's said we're not were we're supposed to be, eh George?"

"Quite a curious thing to say to two blokes you don't know."

Her face reddened again against her wishes. Ok, well, at least now she knew that George was on her left and Fred was on her right. Now if only they'd start wearing name tags.

They finally made it back down towards the forest were Hagrid's hut, with a new extension of bed and bath just for her, was located. But as they neared the hut, Hagrid's door suddenly opened and Gilderoy Lockhart came waltzing out. Harry looked panicked and urged everyone into the cover of a nearby bush. It was ridiculous how they were all attempting to cram behind the small amount of foliage.

They hid as a disgruntled Hagrid saw off the narcissistic wizard; Fred and George were even huffing in annoyance behind her. The only one who didn't seem put off entirely by the man was Hermione, but Sutton knew that the girl's fascination with the man wouldn't last long.

_Thankfully._

They all emerged like a small mob from behind their foliage after Lockhart was a safe distance away. Hagrid looked over at the noise of Ron vomiting another slug.

"Oh dear, well, let's git him inside, then."

Sutton dropped Ron down on a chair next to the fireplace, and Hagrid passed the suffering child a large bucket.

"I'm afraid there's nothing to do but let it run it's course," Hermione said sadly.

"It wasn't very bright to attempt a curse like that with a broken wand," Fred snorted.

"Even if Malfoy did deserve it," George said more darkly.

Hagrid's dark eyes scanned over the group.

"What 'append? Why'd he try an' curse tha' Malfoy boy?"

Quite frankly, Sutton wasn't exactly interested in the commencing conversation about wizard vulgarity. If anything it would only serve to simultaneously anger and bore her.

_Chamber of Secrets_ hadn't even been her favorite Potter book!

But, alas, she was trying to make the most of it. She had half a mind to find a rooster and just chuck it down the tunnel in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

_It would save a lot of time and trouble. Hmm._

She busied herself with helping to prepare some tea and adjusting a few chairs. The twins she watched out of the corner of her eye, because they only listened to Hermione and Harry enough to make sure they were telling the story straight before directing their focus to her. She groaned under her breath and scrunched up one side of her face as they moseyed over to her once again.

"So, you ready to tell us how you know our names yet?"

If Sutton had successfully been able to keep tabs on the two, this one ought to be Fred.

"We've got all year to figure it out if you're not," George added. "Plenty of time."

Sutton narrowed her eyes at the two and jabbed a teaspoon in their general direction.

"Listen, it's not a big deal, ok? I-I heard a couple of kids talking before you found me. They, uh, mentioned your names and the word  _'twins'._ It wasn't a big leap to make."

The twins both lifted a brow in disbelief.

" 'cept you weren't near anyone before we found you, were you?"

"Not unless you were chatting with Filch. But he's never been too much of a conversationist that I've seen."

"A bit touchy, actually."

Sutton found herself with one hand on her jutted hip as the teaspoon hung limply between her fingers. These boys would be the death of her. How had she messed up so quickly? At least in Star Wars they only thought she was weird.

"How would you even know who I was or wasn't around, huh? _That's right._ Flipped it on 'ya."

"Well, we do have a bit of magic, unlike you."

"Fred!"

Sutton let loose a laugh that spoke of a much grander joke than the jab Fred just gave. She got odd looks from everyone in the room, and tried to wipe at her eyes and cut the laughter short.

"Oh, you have no idea," she agreed. "Not a lick of magic. Not even a bit."

She just didn't mention that she had a bit of  _something else._ If she wanted to, she could mess everything up. She could decide she believed that Voldemort was actually misunderstood and enjoyed tap dance, that Dumbledore was actually a bit more malicious than depicted, even that Hermione and Harry should get together instead of Hermione and Ron.

_Huh, they did always seem closer in the books. Harry was always nicer to her and they didn't fight nearly as much as Ron and she did. They also had more in common, both having lived in the muggle world._

Sutton mused to herself as she let her gaze linger about the room. Harry was still telling Hermione that Draco was a stupid git, and the small girl looked up and gave him an appreciative smile before blushing lightly.

The air around her was almost sizzling with electricity that only she seemed to notice. The world actually seemed to tilt for a moment that sent her stomach fluttering.

Sutton snapped to attention.

_Nope, nuh-uh. Stop it! Stop over-thinking things! What are you doing? You will be the master of destruction and then no one will like you!_

Her face was a bit cool as she turned back to the twins and tried to act like she hadn't possibly ruined this world's future. George seemed to notice her change of mood.

"You ok? Is something wrong?"

Good merlin! Did she have to closely guard every stray thought and idea? Was the slightest slip in consideration going to have world changing repercussions? Anxiety swelled in her gut at the thought that she might've just messed something up.

_Hermione ends up with Ron, Hermione ends up with Ron, Hermione and RON._

Most people were Ron and Hermione shippers, right? That had to count for something if their belief helped fuel this whole stupid power thing. Plus, J.K. believed Ron and Hermione were the only ones for each other! The author herself wouldn't change her mind on something like that! The stance of the founder of this world had to keep it a bit on track, right?

"Just fine," Sutton finally managed to respond. "Just as solid as one of Hagrid's rock cakes!"

Luckily, the twins were sufficiently distracted when Ron, finally getting a good look at her, exclaimed bluntly,

"Merlin's beard! Are you a _-blech-_ bloody clone of Hermione from the future?"

Hermione and Sutton both reached protectively up to their hair at the same time.

 

The children didn't linger long after Ron finally recovered from his slug spewing. It was, after all, a Saturday and she wouldn't imagine them feeling inclined to tarry at Hagrid's hut for the whole of it. She didn't really feel like hanging out at Hagrid's, and  _her's she supposed,_  hut for the entire day. Which was nothing against the loveable Rubeus himself, but a week of actual manual labor and no real modern amenities was becoming tiresome. It would be nice to get away for a few hours.

Gosh, she even missed Jarvis! He always had great take-out recommendations and let her know when that one boutique had sales.

She didn't even have a phone now. The magical folk would hardly even know what one was.

Hagrid looked like he was about to wander off on his own anyway, so she jumped to ask him a question before he left.

"Hagrid? What do I need to do if I want to go into town?"

Hagrid turned from where he'd been shrugging on his jacket and pegged her with a curious expression.

" 'm not sure what yer mean."

"Well, like, do I have to wait for a certain weekend? Or do I have to sign out or something?"

When he began chuckling lightly Sutton figured that was the only response she needed, but let him speak anyway.

"As fer as anyone 'ere is concerned, yer an adult. You can go in 'ta town whene'r ya like, so long as it don't interfere with yer work."

"Awesome, thanks." Sutton shuffled her weight from foot to foot. "That's all I needed to know. Now if you don't mind, there's a few galleons burning a hole in my pocket! Bye!"

To avoid any further embarrassment on her behalf, she darted from the hut and hurried down the lane towards the main gates. There was one road into this place, and the kids in the third movie had walked to Hogsmeade, so it couldn't be that hard to find.

Despite the lack of a warm sun, the weather was fairly nice for fall and just fine for walking. After a few minutes Sutton found that she warmed up rather well and the cool breeze didn't bother her so much. The gray sky actually reminded her of home. Washington home. Home where space ships and aliens, wizards and magic spells were fictional and things made sense.

She hummed a happy tune as she walked, one her mother would sometimes whistle while doing chores around the house after a full day at work. Rolling hills, rich and green, spread out on either side of the little dirt road and it was beautiful.

She'd always wanted to visit Europe someday. She supposed now she was getting to do it for free.

_She'd made it to the_ _actual_ _Hogwarts before she'd even gotten to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida._

_Life was funny like that, she supposed._

By the time she saw a small cluster of buildings growing in the distance she was hungry enough for lunch and a certain infamous drink. There were a few wizards and witches bustling around the town as she entered it herself. It was probably a lot more busy when the school children came for a visit, but she enjoyed the lazy, easy-going energy that Hogsmeade exuded currently. It allowed her to take in the sights and the shops without the anxiety of a crowd.

And were there ever things to see!

The town was the adorable, quaint type that you find in old Europe, unchanged and stout. There was old architecture if she'd ever seen it, with hand-painted wooden signs and cobblestone streets. The whole town was basically just a long road with the shops on either side, which made it infinitely more easy to navigate. It was a bit cooler in town, surprisingly, so she marched purposefully down the road until she recognized an old sign reading, "The Three Broomsticks".

Sutton grinned to herself and pushed the door open.

It was a warm space. The people inside didn't turn around to stare at her for being a stranger like they did in old westerns, so she felt a bit more comfortable as well. The floors were old and wooden, with a fire place on one side of the room and tables filling the space in between. There was a bartender cleaning glasses behind the bar and a few open stools off to the side. Sutton shrugged off her jacket and took a seat at a small table in the back of the room. It didn't take long for a waitress to find her way over and ask what she wanted.

_Wait, was it a waitress? Or the owner? She wasn't sure._

Sutton was quick to order a warm meal, shepherd's pie, with a butterbeer. Her mouth was already watering as it was just being in the pub. It had a warm smell, full of different meats and spices, but wasn't off putting in the least.

When the food did arrive, it didn't fail to disappoint. And she had butterbeer! Honest-to-goodness, authentic butterbeer! It was served to her warm with whipped cream on top, and had a lovely, almost cream soda-like taste. Which was weird, because the idea of a warm cream soda had never sounded appealing to her. But this drink was able to pull it off.

"Wizard food," she muttered into her mug. "Figures."

After her meal, Sutton left the amount of coins that the menu had listed the food as being. She really had no concept of what the conversion rate was, so she just had to trust the listed price as fair. Besides, it's not like they instantly knew that she was a mugg-er-squib, just by looking at her. So they couldn't just give her some altered menu made for ignorant customers.

Back outside once again, Sutton wandered around Hogsmeade leisurely. Each shop was lit up warmly from the inside, yellow light spilling out onto the street. The small coin bag in her pocket clinked quietly as she strolled. There wasn't a lot in it to spend, but she was fine with window shopping. And getting  _one or two_  things couldn't hurt. It wasn't like she had a lot of bills to pay at the moment or investments to make.

Finding her hunger satisfied for the moment, Sutton let herself into  _Tomes and Scrolls_ and let the musty scent of paper and leather surround her. When she'd opened the door, instead of a bell, a light melody briefly played to announce her presence that only added to its charm.

_There were so many books!_

The store wasn't large by her standards, nothing like the Barnes And Nobles she was used to, but there were books crammed in every corner. They were stacked in piles as tall as she was! And they were the leather bound kind that looked great on shelves and even better when held. She even spied scrolls laying about.

After greeting the store owner she milled about, turning over piles and digging in the backs of bookcases. Eventually, she settled on a tome called,  _Managing Magical Beasts (And Winning Them Over)_ , and another titled,  _Living As A Squib In A Wizard's World_. If she had to stay in this world for any extended period time she might as well learn a thing or two.

Leaving the bookstore she popped into Honeydukes for some chocolate frogs. It was her equivalent of entering Willy Wonka's factory.

_Oh gosh, she really didn't want to universe jump there._

There were so many bright colors and shelves upon shelves of sweets. She also couldn't stop herself from grabbing a few other candies to sample, like exploding bonbons, some cauldron cakes, and a sugar quill.

With her books and candy, she decided she couldn't afford to spend anymore at the moment, and window shopped a bit longer to delay going back to the school. But later, with more money, perhaps she'd come back and nose around Gladrags Wizardwear and Madame Puddifoot's. It was was something to look forward to. It was really hard to live at the same place that she worked.

But return she did, it was starting to get later in the day and she didn't want to miss out on dinner. If Hagrid so much as heard her stomach rumble, he'd insist on making her something and then Sutton would have to pretend to enjoy it.

Gosh, she loved Hagrid, she really did. His cooking was just not something to be desired.

As luck would have it Hagrid was not in the hut when she returned, so she dropped off her purchases and started the trek over to the castle. There were students still loitering around the grounds and enjoying their day off of studies. She smiled at a couple and continued on her way to the Great Hall. The staff table was served the same food as the children were, but had the option of more mature drinks. Sutton didn't really go for wine and mead, but she did enjoy drinking her beverages from a goblet.

Sutton was in the hall leading to the professor's lounge and nearing the scent of a warm meal when she felt a chill go up her spine. A long, dark shadow was cast over her causing her to freeze.

"Miss  _Regan_."

Sutton hesitated, swallowed, and forced herself to turn around. Fortune had favored her this week up until now, and she hadn't run into Snape since that first day. It also helped that she worked mainly outdoors. With his complexion, she assumed he didn't see much of outside world.

"Professor Snape! Oh, h-hey." Snape's face remained frighteningly blank. "What-what's, how can I help you?"

Snape folded his arms beneath his robes.

" _Miss Regan_ ," he droned, "do tell me, what was your brother's name? I don't believe I've encountered another... _Regan_  in any of my classes."

Sutton felt herself instantly clamming up.

"Oh, no? Weird. Huh. Well, we don't have the same last name, actually," she blabbered. "And we also look nothing alike. Different dads and all. Probably why  _he_  got the magic, am I right? Ha!"

Unsurprisingly, Snape did not appear to be amused.

"His  _name?_ "

"Look, I wouldn't want him being... _discriminated_ against, you know. Not that  _you_  would ever do that, of course, and- would you look at that! Dinner time! I think Hagrid 's calling me! Gotta go!"

With that, she darted passed the pillar of black robes and dove for the safety of an occupied staff room. Surely there would be people in there to buffer Snape's interrogations. Luckily, there were a few other teachers, and Hagrid, enjoying their evening meal, but as she took her seat Sutton had the uneasy feeling that encounters with a suspicious Snape wouldn't be totally unavoidable in the future.

_Because you've been so great at dodging the wonder twins,_  she admonished herself.  _Of course you can handle them_ _and_ _Snape. No problem. None at all._

_...You're screwed._


	11. Pride and Petrification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton fails to avoid trouble, Jane gets a voicemail, and Asgard prepares.

There were three partially emptied pizza boxes strewn across the expensive glass coffee table in the middle of Tony's large living room. Jane was curled up in an armchair quite obviously fighting to stay awake by the flutter of her eyelids. She had a large hard-backed book open on her lap that was sliding dangerously down towards the floor. Reed and Axel were meanwhile still engaged less-than-halfheartedly in a card game neither was following the rules to. Tony was in a corner with a pile of paperwork and schematics surrounding him. There were dark, heavy bags under his eyes and he blinked rapidly as his eyes scanned over the information he was trying to process. His left hand twitched at his side as he used the other to slide through various digital graphs; an empty, deeply stained coffee mug sat to his side.

Axel groaned quietly and shoved his hand across the table as Reed won another round of cards.

"I say we call it a night," he said. "It's late and there's nothing we can do here right now, especially not at this level of sleep exhaustion."

Reed rubbed at his eyes tiredly and shrugged in agreement.

"I think Tony's _"recuperation party"_ is pretty dead anyway." He glanced at Tony still working off to the side. "And a bit pointless apparently."

Both men sluggishly stood from their seats and Axel shuffled to the side to prod at Jane's shoulder. She stirred in her seat, humming in the back of her throat in bleary acknowledgement.

"Reed and I are going back to our rooms," Axel said. "You should probably go back to yours."

Jane made a few more unintelligible noises while nodding her head and slid out of the padded armchair. The book, completely forgotten, fell to the floor with a solid thud, but Jane didn't move to pick it back up.

Reed hung back a moment and tried to get Tony's attention.

"You should probably get some rest too, Mr. Stark."

Tony merely grunted without looking up.

"I am resting. I'm sitting."

"There's no point in trying to argue with him," Axel cut in. "He'll pass out eventually."

The trio collectively decided not to fight a losing battle and continued on to their given guest rooms.

_[Ah, Dr. Foster, since you are awake you should know that there have been several phone-]_

"Can it wait 'til morning, Jarvis?"

Jane was still shuffling down the hall behind the men as she muttered out the response, her own private room just within sight.

_[I was to inform you, quote, 'Jane. This doo-dad is going bonkers, and I didn't break it, I swear. There was maybe a_ _ light _ _meeting of gadget and table at most; you really, really need to-']_

"That's just Darcy," Jane cut the AI's recording off. "Which means it can definitely wait. Just, uh, remind me in the morning, ok?"

_[Of course, Dr. Foster.]_

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton couldn't believe how late it'd already gotten. Dinner had gone well enough, but afterwards she'd accidentally run into Professor Trelawney. And that had been quite a mistake. Trelawney had dropped some herbs as a result of literally being run into, and despite Sutton's many apologies she'd still had to an endure an extended prophecy about her impending death. Now it was dark and she was wandering about the castle, wondering if there was a spare light for her to take on her trek back to Hagrid's hut.

"She _'dear girl's_ me," she muttered under her breath as she walked. "Blah, blah, _the Wanderer_ , _end up in his clutches_ , blah, blah, _darker circumstances_. Gosh, she's so dramatic. It was a couple herbs!"

The hallways of the school were mostly empty given the hour, and Sutton's footsteps echoed off the stone walls as she trudged along. It was the murmur of a muffled voice and a loud boastful laugh that caught her attention. Sutton followed the noise of incessant chatter until she ended up at a room with a cracked open door.

"And that's how I was able to infiltrate and disassemble an order of hags! It's all in my book, 'Holidays with Hag-', oh! What's this? An admirer?"

Sutton startled as Gilderoy Lockhart spun around from his tale and spotted her. He smiled too widely as he spread out his arms.

"Come in, don't be shy! You want an autograph, don't you! Well you picked a perfect time!"

Sutton felt that prickling _'flight or fight'_ sensation, but she'd already been called out and little Harry Potter was turning in his seat to look at her.

_Right. His detention._

Fighting back a sigh of despair, Sutton pushed the door open further and trudged into the room. There was a large pile of moving photographs in front of Harry, all of Lockhart, of course. Even if she could force herself to run out after being spotted, she couldn't leave the pitifully wide-eyed Harry. His large green eyes were just begging for help.

"And who might you be, besides a big fan, of course!"

Sutton gave a half-hearted little wave.

"The name's Sutton Regan. Assistant grounds keeper."

Lockhart's grin widened further. No one should be able to smile that wide. It reminded her of the government agent who'd come to her door so long ago. It made her shiver a bit.

"Ah," Lockhart bellowed after hearing her speak. "You're one of those exotic witches then. Come from across the pond? How charming. You know, I once visited Wizarding America myself, and while I was there-"

Sutton found herself tuning out Lockhart's riveting tale as he showed no sign of stopping. Pulling up a chair, she sat herself down next to Harry and gave a quiet huff.

"I suppose that'll keep him occupied for a while. After all, he obviously knows more about my own country than I do."

Harry gave her a small smile and addressed another envelope.

"So it's true then? You're from America?"

Sutton blinked; she never really thought about her nationality as being an oddity or surprising.

"Oh, yeah. Born and raised!"

Lockhart was still talking, his back to them as he gazed grandly out the window and into the night.

"I've never met someone from America before," Harry commented. "Ron and Hermione were wondering if that's where you were from, but didn't get to ask."

"How _is_ Ron feeling? Is he still nauseous?"

Harry finished off yet another address and set the envelope on his stack of those completed.

"He's better. But I think his pride will be hurt for longer. Malfoy is sure to bring this up for the rest of our lives."

"Possibly," she agreed.

It would have been quiet for a moment if not for Lockhart's still incessant chatter. A couple candles on the desk before them flicked softly and produced a dim light to see with. Sutton wondered if wizards knew anything about electricity.

_Not all muggle inventions were terrible. Sheesh._

"Did you move here with your family then," Harry inquired through the stillness.

He was still working on those envelopes, which Sutton commended him for. There were a lot of them. She couldn't imagine having to fill them all out and listen to Lockhart preen for hours on end. It seemed as though if they made sure to speak quietly he didn't notice that they were completely ignoring him.

"Oh, no," she replied. "No, I haven't seen my family in -in a long time."

He glanced at her sadly.

"So you've been all alone?"

"Well, I mean, no. Not quite. I met some people who've helped me out the last year or so. One of them gave me a job; he's- he's a trip. He's kind of been like a cool cousin or something. But, you know, I do still miss my family..."

She cut herself off before she could get too weepy and embarrass herself in front of a twelve year old.

But Harry didn't look like he thought she was pathetic. He had an introspective look about him as he carefully formed letters with the thick, black ink he was made to use.

"I never knew my parents," he said softly. "They were killed by Vol-well, You-Know-Who. And I've had to live with some family that isn't very nice. But Ron Weasley, my best friend, and his family, well, they've taken me in and they're wonderful. I guess, sometimes, you don't get to be with the family they were supposed to have. But you can still build another family of your own, and they can be just as good, or better."

Sutton sat shell-shocked, unable to form words as Harry's young analysis of the world sunk in. Lockhart rambled on, but now she couldn't even hear the timber of his boasting voice. They sat in a quiet stillness as she processed Harry's words. How was it that this little kid could say something so profound? It wasn't like it changed the fact that she missed her family terribly, nothing would ever take that away, but it forced her to open her eyes to a fact that she's missed or tried to ignore.

_If she lived a life mourning the family she'd had to leave behind, she'd never be able to make a new one of her own._

_It's not wrong to miss them_ , she tried to defend. _She had a_ _right_ _to miss them!_

And that was true, she knew. But she _had_ been isolating herself away from people this last year. People had tried to befriend her and she'd brushed them off because some odd part of her brain had been telling her it was wrong to feel any sort of happiness or to form any relation with anyone when she knew what she'd left behind.

How could she be ok and moving on when she knew her mother would be grieving for her lost daughter for the rest of her life? How was anything ok when that knowledge sat heavy on her heart?

_The guilt still ate at her most days._

But Harry did still have a point. Family wasn't just blood. Family was a collection of people who cared about you, encouraged you, who knew you.

She spared him a look from the corner of her eye and gave him a small, solemn smirk.

"How old did you say you were? You seem too wise to just be twelve."

Harry smiled at her praise and Sutton's eye drifted to the professor that she found herself forgetting was in the room.

"-so there I was! Cornered! A muggle was onto my ruse, threatening me with some _surely_ poisonous food he called a corn dog, you can read about that in more detail on page 159 of my book-"

Sutton turned in her seat towards Harry, taking on a conspiratorial look.

"Hey, at this pace, he's going to keep you in here until midnight! Let's see if we can't get you out a little early, huh?"

The hope that blazed in Harry's green eyes at that thought was as adorable as it was relatable.

"How fascinating, Professor," Sutton suddenly crooned loudly. "I must say, your stories are some of the most exciting and unusual I've ever heard! But I have to admit, I'm in the middle of one of your books right now and I'd hate for it to be spoiled by you giving too much away. Oh, and look at the time! The candles have gotten quite low."

Lockhart blinked, a bit surprised at her interruption, but preened at her lavish praise. At her mention of the time he looked to the candles and gave a small jump.

"My, but you're right! Time has flown, hasn't it! Harry, my boy, you've done well enough. Why don't you run along to bed?"

He didn't have to repeat himself. Both Harry and Sutton sprung up out of their seats, bid him a barely polite farewell, and skedaddled out the door like their lives depended on it.

Once they'd made their way a bit down the hall, both began giggling at the glee of having Sutton's diversion actually work.

"You're brilliant," Harry exclaimed. "Thank you!"

"Anything to help someone escape from the likes of Gilderoy Lockhart. Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm."

She followed Harry, seeing as she had no idea where the Gryffindor house was located, trying to memorize the path and staircases they used so she could find her way back.

_Hopefully poor Hagrid wasn't waiting up for her._

The castle was impossibly large, Sutton thought, too large to expect eleven and twelve year olds to navigate alone without getting into some sort of trouble. But maybe she was underestimating the age group too much because they all seemed to be able to find their way around relatively fine. Harry included. They were traveling down a relatively long stretch of hallway when Harry suddenly froze where he stood with eyes wide and face slightly pale.

"Hey, you ok? Why'd you stop? Harry?"

He didn't move from his spot, just cut his eyes towards her and frowned.

"Can't you hear it?"

Sutton wasn't putting the puzzle pieces together incredibly quickly.

"Hear what?"

"That-that voice that said-you didn't hear it?"

And then it all clicked. Sutton swallowed nervously as she glanced towards the walls on either side.

"I-I didn't hear anything..."

Harry's brow furrowed as he glanced back the way they'd came, as if following the noise.

"Are you sure? It's- I think it's going back the way we came..."

" _I think_ it's time for bed, come on. I can see the Fat Lady up those stairs."

Although she could tell he was reluctant to drop the subject, Harry allowed her to usher him towards his dorm without complaint. She bid him goodnight, jokingly told him to try and stay out of anymore trouble, _as if_ , and set off on her own back through the castle.

It was closer to midnight than not, and the castle was only marginally lit. Sutton didn't like the vibe it gave off. She especially didn't like it because there was a giant snake slithering around somewhere in the flipping walls. This part of the book had totally slipped her mind. _The detention had served as a way for Harry to initially hear the Basilisk._ How could she have forgotten that?

And here she was, alone, secretly a muggle, wandering around with a giant evil serpent who's goal in life was to kill all such people.

_Wonderful._

Her only hope was that it stayed within in the walls tonight. She was pretty sure that it didn't attack anyone at this point in the year.

_Please stay in the walls. Pleaaasseee._

Normally she was of the belief that snakes were not as terrible as spiders, they didn't have spindly legs and couldn't hide in the corner of your ceiling where you couldn't reach them, but not this time. Because this snake was probably three stories tall when it lifted itself off the floor, had poisonous fangs, and eyes that could instantly kill you.

Luckily she was able to make it back down to the ground floor without much hassle, the snake stayed in the pipes, and Sutton began her tentative trek back down to Hagrid's hut. The only illumination she was getting was from the moon and the stars in the sky. Although, as she grew closer to the hut, she could faintly seem a warm light seeping through the windows which let her know fire was still lit. She let out a relieved sigh as she made it to the hut without any complications or wild magical creatures attacking her.

Hagrid _was_ still up when she got there, and he had a cup of tea waiting for her. Sutton could feel her heart warm up and she gave him a sincere smile.

"Thanks, Hagrid. You're amazing."

A bit of pink could be seen shining through his burly beard.

"No' 't all."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

When Thor returned to Asgard, it was not the same as it had been when he'd left to restore order to the realms. It was an Asgard preparing for an attack, perhaps even an invasion. Loki was out of his dungeon cell; he was conversing with council members, listening to input and making fair suggestions. He was suggesting strategic formations to troop generals, and he was always, _always_ doing it with an ease and a charm that he had been in possession of since his youth: a hand on a shoulder here, a bit of eye contact there, giving out praise for good suggestions, and giving credit where credit was due. Thor was torn between being extremely uneasy and a tiny bit proud.

Loki was his brother, true, but he had attempted to conquer and enslave Midgard hardly a year prior. And their time in Sutton's realm had not seemed to change his ways. It was hard not to believe it was all some ruse, but Thor was not sure to what end. It was clear Loki was working his way to reclaim the people's favor, but the Allfather watched all the activity with a clear distain and mistrust. Thor was not certain that it was all an unfounded mistrust; he was not so naïve anymore as to blindly take Loki's actions at face value. But Thor could not imagine Loki would be able to cause too much damage with the eye of Odin _and_ Heimdall upon him. In fact, if it were not that Loki was at the lead of Asgard's protection Thor would have been confidently impressed. Loki had even called upon some elders and historians to come teach what they knew from legend and the old records of the Dark Elves strategies and methods. That information was being directly applied to their soldier's training and preparations. It was something Thor, admittedly, would have not thought to call upon to add to their arsenal.

And, true, the people welcomed their warriors' home from Yggdrasil's branches with sincere praise and celebration, but it was to Loki that they showed a new, deep respect. It was to Loki that the maidens left wild flowers and playful smiles. It was to Loki the people were now looking to for direction and action to protect them.

How Loki had managed to rise up so far from his cell and plant himself in the hearts of the people, Thor did not know. And even as he greeted his brother, and praised the defenses that had been established across Asgard, he could not help but feel a foreboding churning in his stomach. Because even he had come to realize, despite keeping himself blind to it before, that Loki did everything for a reason and one was never sure where his motivations were derived from. To Loki, life was a game of chess and he had mastered all the pieces on the board. One never knew if they were one step ahead of him or not.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

The only reason that Sutton realized how long she'd actually been trapped in the universe of Harry Potter was because of the Halloween Feast announcement that had been made. Practically two months in one spot? Why and how? Why was it that her body had left the Star Wars universe so much quicker?

Did it have anything to do with the fact that she had been in space and not on earth? Could her stupid body even know that?

Whatever the reason, she was starting to become a little twitchy. She didn't particularly want to stay in this universe forever either. After Harry's eye-opening commentary, she found herself longing for Marvel earth. Really and truly for the first time. If she could never go home, never see her family again, then she at least wanted to put some effort into making a new life for herself.

She wanted to try to be better friends with Maggie and Avery. She found herself regretting never giving that Axel guy from IT a chance. She wanted to start _living_.

But she couldn't start living like this. This was uncertain and possibly fleeting, and had her in a state of survival and anxiety more than anything else.

It was the night of the Halloween Feast and Sutton was skipping down from the third floor after getting kicked out of the library. Irma Prince, the librarian, could actually not be charmed like she had hoped. The woman refused to keep the library open past eight o'clock, even after Sutton put on a show of revering the tomes and coddling them carefully. She'd even tried believing that the woman would be fonder of fellow book lovers, but it didn't appear to work. So, after wasting some time trying to deal with Irma Prince, she was planning on picking up a plate of special holiday food and heading straight back to Hagrid's and her hut. Because, if her memory served her well, this was the night that the Basilisk made its first attack. And Sutton, despite all the potential for interfering she had available to her, did not want to attract attention to herself and get caught up in the drama. And she definitely wasn't going to get blamed for the petrification of Filch's cat!

Swiveling around the corner of the staircase, Sutton prepared to dart down the second floor corridor when she was met with a horrifying sight. All along the stone wall were bright red letters, spelling out the dreaded,

" _THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."_

She froze, finding one booted foot splashing in a puddle of water in the middle of the hall. Across the hall, she could see three short figures that she'd come to know more personally in her time here.

_"Craaaaaap."_

Sutton did not want to be blamed for petrifying Filch's cat. But to run away from the scene of the crime now seemed to be a bit out of the picture. The trio slowly trekked over towards her and the spot on the wall that would be the cause of so much trouble. They all glanced to Sutton and then stared wide-eyed at the foot high letters on the wall that looked to be written in blood.

"What happened?"

Sutton rubbed at her eyes in defeat.

"The fates are against me, Hermione. That's what."

Ron's face was a bit pale and he spoke with a quiver in his voice.

"What's that thing – hanging underneath?"

They inched closer, finally stepping into the puddle and peered closer at the wall. Sutton sighed and glanced up at the torch bracket where Mrs. Norris hung by her tail. The cat was staring blankly, wide-eyed, and incredibly stiff. It was disturbing to look at.

"It's Filch's cat," Sutton supplied lamely. "Come on, we should get out of here before it's too late."

But there was already the sound of footsteps and cheerful voices coming from all directions. Sutton scowled and tried to move away from the Petrified cat and, in turn, Filch's ire. She tried to usher the trio away as well, but they were all being stared at by the mass of students who were now dumbstruck in the hall. And then a high-pitched smarmy voice rang against the walls.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Sutton watched Draco push his way to the front of the crowd as his nasty little face lit up with glee at the sight of such a catastrophe. Her next actions, in Sutton's defense, were impulsive and not thought out in the least. Her hand shot out and gripped him by the ear and tugged him to the side none-too-gently. He cried out in shock and outrage at being so mistreated.

"Draco Malfoy, you horrible little boy! You will _not_ threaten other students in this school! Do you understand me?"

Ron's face lit up joyfully at her scolding of Malfoy, but the show didn't get to last long because Argus Filch himself was suddenly hobbling angrily over to the mob.

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

At the sight of other professors approaching the group, and using Filch's ensuing melt down as a distraction, Sutton released Draco's ear and he went flying to the other side of the hall and settled near Snape. He gave her a nasty glare and Sutton sneered back at him.

_Go ahead and tell your daddy all about it._

Dumbledore quickly calmed Filch as well as he could and ordered the trio to follow him, along with the professors, to discuss the incident.

"You as well, Miss Regan," he added, "as you seem to have arrived at the scene first."

Sutton could only assume he guessed that correctly because of the circle of people that had been formed around her and the Golden Trio. Biting lightly at the inside of her cheek, Sutton dutifully followed, albeit begrudgingly. They travelled up to Gilderoy Lockhart's office and Sutton watched as all the portraits of Lockhart scattered or startled as they were caught unprepared for company.

Dumbledore proceeded to examine the cat as Lockhart spouted off various curses that he believed to have killed the wretched creature. Sutton smartly decided to keep mum on the issue.

Filch was still sobbing over the supposed loss of his cat, and Sutton attempted to shuffle closer to Professor McGonagall and further from Snape.

Finally, Dumbledore straightened his stance and spoke compassionately to Filch.

"She's not dead, Argus." Filch was disbelieving, of course. "She's been Petrified. But how, I cannot say."

Sutton shifted on her feet and stared at the ceiling briefly while trying to look inconspicuous. Filch began aggressively blaming the three second years, preposterous even to Sutton, when Dumbledore intervened.

"Miss Sutton, did you perchance see anything?"

Sutton felt the weight the entire room's eyes on her. She swallowed nervously and fiddled with her fingers.

"I can't say that I saw what happened," she said. "But I know that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't have a part in it. It had already happened when they showed up."

"Of course they didn't have a thing to do with it," McGonagall scoffed. "A few second years wouldn't be capable of doing that sort of dark magic."

Filch then turned his attention to Sutton instead. He pointed a crooked, yellow-nailed finger at her and snarled.

"She did it! She was there all alone! Nobody knows much about her anyway! She could be working for _Him_ for all we know!"

Sutton reddened in anger and shock.

"I did _not!_ What happened to your cat is terrible and I just happened to stumble upon it. Besides," she reminded as an afterthought, "I'm a Squib! I couldn't do magic if I wanted to."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were remaining amazingly quiet, trying to stay out of further trouble no doubt. She couldn't blame them.

_She already felt bad enough that she hadn't been helping who_ _ was _ _responsible for the writing on the wall._

Her eyes darted around the room and accidentally met Snape's gaze briefly. His eyes flashed as their gazes met and his face suddenly became more pinched. Sutton threw her gaze away quickly and looked down at the floor.

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape as he oozed out from the shadows, "Miss Regan may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was she in the upstairs corridor at all? And what have we really learned about her in the time that she's been here? For all we know she could be… _hiding_ something."

This conversation had gotten all flipped around and twisted and Sutton found herself nervously twitching. They weren't supposed to be paying attention to her! Not that she wanted to pass the blame to a couple of kids, but they got out of it fine and it was _their_ story to be stuck in in the first place!

"I did nothing wrong," Sutton argued a bit subdued. Talking directly to Snape was a feat of bravery in and of itself. "I would never hurt anything and I wouldn't betray Dumbledore's kindness to me like that."

Filch was still heatedly angry about his cat.

"My cat has been Petrified," he shouted. His face was bulging and red with rage. "I want some _punishment!_ She's guilty; she admits to being a Squib too proudly! She's faking!"

Dumbledore rationally, and kindly, explained to Filch that they would cure his cat in time with the Mandrakes that Professor Sprout was growing. Lockhart eagerly volunteered to whip up the potion when the time came, and Snape threw the man a nasty glare as he reminded the fraud of just who the Potions master was. It was after that that Dumbledore released them back into the school.

"You four may go."

Sutton followed the three quickly out the door and down the hall.

"Thank you for sticking up for us," Harry said as they prepared to go separate ways.

"We know you wouldn't do something terrible like that to Mrs. Norris," Hermione reassured.

"Yeah," said Ron, "especially if you're a Squib! No offense."

She gave them a smile to let them know all was well.

"Thanks. And if you guys are going to be visiting Hagrid anytime soon for tea, just send and owl over beforehand and I'll make sure to bake something special for you guys."

They all seemed very pleased with that idea, as generally anything was better than breaking your teeth on Hagrid's rock cakes. As the three walked away towards their dorm, Sutton could hear Harry Potter's voice drift back,

_"What's a Squib, anyway?"_

As she headed back towards the main entrance, Sutton felt blessed that she got out of the meeting fairly unscathed. She hadn't shown a lick of magic potential since she'd been here, and she figured Dumbledore and McGonagall were more sensible in knowing she couldn't have cursed the cat even if she'd wanted to. She scuffed one shoe purposefully on the floor as she walked when a dark shadow began growing from behind her, looming over her own flickering shadow on the ground.

_"Miss Regan, a word, if you will."_

Sutton felt her blood turn cold as Snape's voice seeped like dark oil around her. She turned to the side and glanced at him tentatively.

"I'm actually on my way out," she said. "It's gotten quite late."

Her skin was starting to prickle in apprehension as Snape didn't move back.

"I must insist," he said. "It will only take a moment."  
Sutton turned around fully and tried to throw back her shoulders in a display of false bravery. She felt like one of those animals that try to puff up to make itself look bigger to scare predators away.

"I'm afraid it will have to wait until later. Dumbledore already dismissed me, if you'll remember."

That brought a scowl to the Potions master's face and his figure loomed more ominously.

"I know that you're hiding something about the incident tonight. And I _will_ know what it is. _Who opened the Chamber?_ "

"I don't know," Sutton tried to argue, but Snape only snarled at her lie. He made a movement as if to grab her and she just instinctively bolted away.

Sutton had thought that running from her neighbor's full grown German shepherd in second grade had been scary, but even that didn't quite compare to this. At least the German shepherd had actually been friendly in the end. The hallway was a blur around her as she tore through the castle with her heart stuck in her throat. It felt like electricity was sparking up under her skin that had become clammy, because she found herself to be fleeing from one Severus Snape.

Sutton had never pictured him as much of a runner, but apparently, for her, he could make an exception.

_Gosh darn it! She didn't even belong to be in this universe!_

When she rounded a corner and found herself in a straight stretch of hallway, she could hear Snape's footsteps slow. It only made her heart beat faster.

_"Petrificus Totalus!"_

Sutton felt a powerful force crash into her back and she fell to floor in a crumpled heap. In a panic, she pulled herself back up and tried to keep running on extremely wobbly legs. And then the spell he'd cast sunk in and she froze. Slowly, in a state of terror, Sutton swiveled her head to glance behind her. Snape had the most incredulous look on his face, and his wand was gripped tightly in his fist.

_"Well, crap."_

She resumed trying to scurry away as best as she was able when Snape's face darkened and he cast his wand forward again.

"Levicorpus."

The spell hit Sutton and she felt her feet lift off the floor. She wasn't fully airborne, maybe only two feet off the ground, and she clawed at the stone floor trying to keep herself rooted.

_"Levicorpus!"_

There was clear frustration in Snape's voice. Wait, no. Not frustration. _Rage._ That was it. His repeated spell didn't change the fact that she still wasn't floating in the air like she should have been. She could hear his footsteps as he approached, and she was left fairly helpless as she dangled at an angle, vying for upside down. She was kicking her legs trying to right herself, but it wasn't working.

"Well, well, Miss Regan," he sneered from next to her. "It seems that you have, in fact, been hiding _something_. I wonder what the Headmaster will have to say about _this._ "


	12. Keep It Secret, Keep It Sa-Well, Crap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton struggles more and Tony has a bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is it! With this chapter, you are finally all caught up with my readers on ffn! So, updates might not come *as* regularly as they have been. But I'm working on trying to come up with a writing schedule and be better about it.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)

When Jane had finally listened to the messages left by her intern Darcy, she became a fidgeting mess in the lab. She would pick up her phone every few seconds, glance at the screen and then set it back down. Her eyes would dart to the clock on the wall as she gnawed on her lower lip. Eventually the rest of the team noticed her distress, even Tony who was the most sleep deprived and consumed by the task at hand. After the fifth time of Jane sighing to herself in frustration and repeating the word _"physics"_ several times under her breath, Tony finally sat his particle processor down and gave her a bland look.

"Dr. Foster," he said, "if you need to leave to take care of some business, _say in London maybe_ , feel free to do so."

Jane sputtered and picked up her forgotten stylus.

"Oh no, Mr. Stark," she said. "I'm fine. You asked me here to help, I just-"

"Jane," Tony interrupted not unkindly, "you have helped. There's obviously _something_ in London that you shouldn't ignore. Go figure out what it is, and when you're done, come back."

Jane's face lit up at the ok to leave Stark Tower and the research they were doing at the moment. She was already picking up a few of her personal supplies when she finally thanked the billionaire.

"I promise, I'll be back as quickly as I can. It might be nothing," but she didn't sound like she thought that would be the case, "but if it isn't, it might even be helpful for you! I'll send you updates on what I find while I'm there!"

The three men watched as Jane left in a whirlwind. Axel stared at her retreating figure with a slightly slack jaw and raised brow.

"You're just going to let her leave," he asked incredulously. "Dr. Foster is one of the top minds in her field. How do you expect to ever figure out this multidimensional-warp-Star-Gate-stuff without her?"

Tony sighed as he resumed his work after a quick order for Jarvis to assist Dr. Foster with finding a plane ticket to England that left ASAP.

"Because, Axel," he said impatiently, "what you obviously don't understand is that Dr. Foster would be totally useless to us until she uncovered whatever mystery is occurring overseas. Really, does SHIELD teach _anything_ to their agents? Besides, if she finds _anything_ that it is even the least bit helpful to my current project, I'm open to suggestions."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton fought against the spell's hold on her as she was dragged along behind Snape. She could feel herself dip and bob a bit as if the spell were about to break completely, but then she'd resettle where she began and have to start all over.

"Put me down," she demanded in outrage. "You have no right! I am going to file a very thorough report with HR!"

Her threats went unheeded as Snape continued down the dim hall.

"I suggest you be prepared to tell the entire truth, Miss Regan," Snape drawled. "I don't think there's a professor at this school that's ever seen a Squib who is able to wordlessly deflect spells."

He had a point, she had to give him that.

"And I suppose you've never heard of, uh, basic...defense...wards! My family didn't _completely_ hate me."

"I have yet to see wards that defend only halfway. Especially odd is that there is a ward against a spell that _I, myself created._ "

_Drat it._

"Well, you've obviously... _never been to America!_ We're very advanced! I mean, the witches and wizards are!"

So she might've been trying to argue a very wrong claim that America was the epitome of advancement, but she had to try _something_.

Her completely believable excuse for this situation was not enough to placate Snape. At this point, with the pace he was walking at and the flippant manner in which he ignored her, nothing would deter him from having all her secrets spilled out. Probably even by disembowelment if he had to.

_What if they tried to use Veritaserum on her? Would it work? What if it did?_

_What would Dumbledore think once he found out spells weren't so effective on her?_

The blood was starting to settle more around her head as she still hung awkwardly near the floor. Her cheeks were flushed from it, and her own frustration, and she was glad that it was so late so they wouldn't run into students. It was an embarrassing moment enough as it was.

"We can only hope that this little revelation will illuminate the Headmaster to the follies of hiring the likes of... _whatever you are._ "

A thought suddenly struck Sutton, and as it was a last ditch effort, she tried it.

"Fine, ok, you caught me! I didn't want to admit this, but obviously you won't allow anything else." She took a mock deep breath. "The spells didn't work because I'm...I'm part giant!"

Snape actually turned to look over his shoulder and give her a scathing once over.

"The _most_ unlikely story you've told yet."

They were nearing the hall that led to Dumbledore's office. Despite the lateness of the evening, she assumed the professors were all still awake and in a right fright. After all, if the cat had been petrified by some unseen assailant, who would be next?

It was then that a sudden _BANG_ erupted in the hall and the room filled with a thick smoke that could not be seen through. Snape let out an angry cry and Sutton felt arms around her waist and what felt like another hand clamped over her mouth. Then the air around her was moving and she found the smoke was dissipating around her. From her odd angle, she craned her head to try and see who was manhandling her.

_Of course. The Weasleys. Who else?_

They were currently high-stepping it away from the crime scene as fast as their long legs could carry them. Sutton could hear Snape's enraged orders from where they were and a spell that probably cleared the smoke.

"That's the second time we've 'ad to save you," the twin who was gripping her waist said. There was a certain gleam in his eye that made her think _Fred._

"You're lucky we got there in time," said the other. Sutton was going to call him _George._ "Snape's never a good one to get on the wrong side of."

The twin she assumed was George removed his hand from her mouth and Sutton huffed.

"You know, right now, it'd be really great to just not be almost hanging upside down."

"All in good time! We've got to get a certain damsel to safety!"

And so Sutton found herself being carted, _floating above the ground and face near the floor mind you_ , around the castle. She dangled with her arms crossed and face stoic until she could see the end of a wall and heard a woman's voice suspiciously ask,

_"Password?"_

The boys dully chimed out, _"Wattlebird,"_ before darting inside the room and finally letting her go. Sutton wobbled a bit in the air, arms wagging about to her sides as she still remained levitated.

"Can you get me down _now?_ "

"Well, what spell did he use on you?"

Sutton huffed.

"Levicorpus."

"Don't think we've ever heard of that one."

"Could be a bit of trouble to get you down..."

Sutton threw her arms out at her sides and tried to crane her head to see the twins.

"I can't _stay_ like this! The bloods been rushing to my head for awhile now! Use your latin skills! What's the opposite of _levicorpus?"_

 

She was really getting tired of her upside down dangling position. The twins weren't figuring out the counter-spell as quickly as she would have liked and she was growing irritated.

"Come on," she snapped, "you guys _have_ to know! You're both smart! What's latin for _'down'_ or _'free'_ or _'undo'_? There's gotta be _something_."

The twins looked to each other, something dawning in their eyes, and then in a questioning tone chorused,

_"liberacorpus?"_

Sutton instantly dropped the rest of the way to the floor, face and chest skidding on the ground as she fell at an angle.

_"Oof!"_

"Oh, we _are_ good-"

"-aren't we?"

Sutton pushed herself off the floor and stood upright, _finally_. She shook out her arms and legs a bit, trying to get the blood flowing again, as she addressed the boys.

"Thanks guys; you saved me there."

"Again," George snickered.

"I suppose that means you owe us," Fred added.

"And being saved from Filch _and_ Snape," George drawled, " _well-"_

"-that's a pretty big favor."

Sutton could strangle them.

"I said, _thank you,"_ she argued, but it didn't seem to fly. "Ugh, fine, you know what, I have to get back to Hagrid's before Snape confirms it was you two who 'saved' me. I'll see you two later."

Fred and George's eyes gleamed in the dim light of the common room fire.

"Night, then," they farewelled.

Once again Sutton realized that they couldn't be trusted as far as they could be thrown. With one final wave good-bye, Sutton scampered back out the portrait and down the staircases until she was out on the school grounds and ducking towards the hut. As far as she knew, she hadn't been seen. She could only hope that Snape kept his discovery to himself, considering what he'd done to _find it out in the first place_.

_The nasty sneak._

 

The next morning Sutton slunk nervously to breakfast. She might've skipped eating in the teacher's lounge altogether, but Hagrid had made some sort of "oatmeal" and she wasn't willing to risk it. There were only a few professors still eating and everyone had a solemn air about them, so Sutton found she didn't have much to worry about. Luckily for her, Snape wasn't there.

Sutton threw together a quick plate and sat in a corner to eat it hurriedly. And as far as she could tell so far the morning was progressing smoothly. Maybe Snape _had_ kept his discovery to himself.

Sutton scraped what was left off her plate and dashed for the door. Some faulty logic in her brain told her that if she could just make it back outdoors, she'd be in the clear.

It was as she was making her way down the hall that something fluffy rushed passed her head. A medium-sized owl circled back around to her and dropped a small envelope into her hands. Sutton stared dumbly down at the card and then at the owl as it flew away without care. The envelope suddenly felt heavy and her stomach upset. With trembling fingers she peeled back the paper to reveal the message within. Her stomach plunged downward.

_"Miss Regan,_

_Your presence is requested in my office to discuss a recent event._

_Thank you for your understanding._

_~ Albus Dumbledore"_

 

A cold dread iced over her skin as she reread the note. There could only be one explanation; Snape had gone to Dumbledore. And now she was doomed.

" _Crap. Fire and ice,"_ she cursed under her breath. But she couldn't ignore a summons from Albus Dumbledore.

_Maybe she could still salvage this?_

Sutton decided to take her time getting to Dumbledore's office.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Reed nodded despite the fact that the person on the other end of the phone couldn't see him.

"Yeah, I know," he said good-naturedly. "And if I need any muscle I know who to call."

He cocked a hip on one of the lab countertops and was quiet as the person responded.

"He's not that bad, Ben," he finally said. "Actually, I haven't seen him in a couple days. I thought he was at a corporate meeting, but-"

Reed cut himself off, brows furrowed as he reconsidered the situation. "I'll try and find him later. Anyway, it's actually really interesting research. The implications if it's true, and if it's possible to pull off, are staggering. Oh, um, actually it's a bit confidential. Er, anyway, how, uh, how's the shop?"

When he hung up after finishing his conversation Tony still hadn't returned to the lab. Axel, as far as he knew, had gone to the recreation floor of the building to use the gym.

_But where was Tony?_

So far, Tony had barely left the lab, _barely slept_ , since they'd started this project. It was unusual for him to be gone for so long.

"Jarvis," Reed spoke up to the ceiling. "Where's Tony?"

_[Mr. Stark is located in the common kitchen.]_

If Reed hadn't known better, he might have thought that the AI sounded almost... _concerned._

"How long has he been there?"

If the eccentric billionaire was finally eating, Reed wasn't going to interrupt that. Who knew when it'd happen again.

_[Some company might do Mr. Stark good, Dr. Richards.]_

Reed headed for the kitchen, curious now to the state of his current benefactor and colleague. Jarvis seemed to be being purposefully vague, and that was odd for the AI.

The kitchen was on another floor and Reed took the closest elevator down, fidgeting with his cell phone as he waited for the doors to reopen. The kitchen did not take up the entire floor, but it was large and fully stocked. It also had an open layout, and as far as Reed could tell, it was empty. Despite the fact that the lighting was dim there was enough stainless steel to reflect what little light there was.

"Mr. Stark?"

Reed knew that Tony Stark wasn't the tallest man, especially next to his fellow Avengers, but he still should have been able to see him above the countertops.

There was a low, muttering grumble from somewhere near the large industrial fridge, and Reed hesitantly made his way in that direction. On the other side of the counter, and curled up on the tile floor, he found Tony Stark. He was hunched down, clutching his knees to his chest with his face buried in his arms. The counter was a mess of spilled honey and crumbs. A hard, cold slice of bread still sat untouched in the toaster.

"Mr. Stark, are you ok? How long have you been here?"  
Tony still hadn't moved, but Reed was able to understand what he mumbled this time.

"Said I was fine, Dr. Richards. _Good-bye._ "

Reed hesitated, glancing at the exit and then back at Tony, and then sat down on this tile floor too. Tony finally lifted his head enough to glare at the intrusion. Reed remained unruffled by the hostility.

"It's a, uh, nice kitchen," he commented.

Tony continued to glare with bloodshot eyes.

"Does, um, Pepper know you're here, by chance?"

"I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

Reed took the fact that he was responding as a good sign. He nodded awkwardly in reply to Tony's jab and tried to get comfortable.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I invited you here to help with research; not be a shrink."

"You haven't been here two days though, right?"

Tony snorted into his hands and rolled his still red eyes.

"Jarvis wouldn't have left me alone that long no matter what I told him. He's a bit of a worrier. Aren't you?"

_[With you? Constantly, sir.]_

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton was trying to will her body to not sweat. It wasn't just Dumbledore in his office.

_No, of course not._

Snape stood stiffly next to him, looking down his nose at her and sneering. It was a feat just to force herself not to fidget and give away the true depth of her nervousness.

"I got your note," she stated lamely.

Dumbledore gave her a small close-lipped smile and stepped forward; his feet never even emerged from his flowing robes.

"Ah, yes, Miss Sutton. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I'm afraid I just recently learned of the situation myself. Please, have a seat."  
Sutton uneasily slid into one of the chairs facing the headmaster's desk. It felt like she was sitting before a judge and very nasty-tempered bailiff. She neatly folded her hands together and gripped hard.

"Professor Snape came to me this morning with a concern."

She was a bit disappointed to find that Dumbledore didn't seem to be beating around the bush. It would have been nice to have an extra minute of stalling to come up with a plausible story for what was coming next.

"He informed me that he was forced into an altercation with you last night, and that he made a most unbelievable discovery because of it."

"Right, _forced_ ," Sutton let slip out before she'd properly thought about it. "Sorry, I mean, it's unfortunate that Professor Snape found the unpleasant event unavoidable."

_Good, good. That sounded very mature and responsible. Keep that up._

Dumbledore's eyebrow twitched and Snape's lips drooped further downwards, but neither outright commented.

"Professor Snape has told me that he believes you to be impervious, or majorly impervious, to magic. A very fanciful claim in and of itself, but, as Snape is a well respected professor, I find I must investigate such a claim."

Sutton sat back in her seat, forced her eyes open further and her eyebrows up. Her hands switched to gripping at the chair arms.

"Excuse me? Impervious to _magic?_ Well, I've never heard of such a thing! Quite ridiculous indeed!"

_She was doing the shocked southerner thing again. Crap. Reel it back in._

"No one is exempt from being affected by magic," she said. "That's impossible. I've only ever heard of giants not being as well affected. And," she forced a laugh, "as you can tell, I am far from giant."

"Do your lies know no end," Snape hissed from behind Dumbledore. "Tell us what _you are_."

"Severus, please," Dumbledore held up a poised hand. "This whole thing can solved quite easily." He gazed with sharp eyes at Sutton over his spectacles. "Would you mind if I tested a simple spell on you?"

Sutton swallowed nervously, her fingers fluttering back to clutch at each other again.

"Um, yeah. Sure. Go ahead. That's fine. I don't care."  
 _Crap, crap, crap, crap!_

Sutton stood when Dumbledore did and moved to stand in the center of the room. Her palms were becoming moist and her jaw clenched. Her mind was spinning at a million miles an hour.

_Ok, ok, just_ _ think _ _. You're-you're part of this world now, right? You're_ _ here _ _! Magic_ _ has _ _to affect you. It wouldn't make sense otherwise!_

Sutton closed her eyes as Dumbledore raised his wand and tried to believe with all her mind that whatever spell he used, it would work. A heat rushed through her body, but she wasn't sure if it were nerves or something else.

"A quick disillusionment charm should do just fine, I'd think," Dumbledore said reassuringly.

And then he cast the charm.

Butterflies erupted in a mad frenzy in Sutton's stomach as she realized that she could see through her own body, like it wasn't there. Looking up at the two men, she grinned madly. She still felt hot, and her legs felt oddly similar to when a shot of adrenaline flushes through them; but she was invisible!

Dumbledore, for all his speech about not expecting her to be impervious to magic, looked briefly surprised. Snape was practically baring his teeth and Dumbledore cast a charm to make her visible again.

_"Impossible!"_

Sutton's legs oddly wobbled briefly before she regained her footing.

Snape thrust his wand forward silently and Sutton found herself shrieking as she was flung into the air. It was like a giant had grabbed her by the ankle and carelessly lifted her up into the air, upside down.

_This was what levicorpus was truly supposed to be._

"Severus!"

"It is impossible, Headmaster! The girl hardly noticed a-"

A wave of dizziness washed over Sutton, and she wasn't sure if all of it were to be attributed to being upside down. Her body suddenly dipped, once, twice, and she found the wooden floor closer to her face than it'd originally been. Something was running up her nose and starting to clog it. She felt gravity pull once again and she threw her hands downwards so her face wouldn't smack into the floor.

"Hey! Rude!"

"Severus?"

"It was not _me_."

Sutton saw Snape actually wave his wand this time and she landed on her knees. Now that she was right side up, the substance clogging her nose began to leak out. Sutton wiped away a small dribble of bright red blood, but it was only a marginal amount.

"Do you believe me now?"

Sutton blinked in concern at the faces Snape and Dumbledore were making. One looked supremely smug and the other, utterly baffled.

"I-I have not seen anything like it," he admitted.

"Um, I don't understand," Sutton piped up. She was feeling suddenly tired and frustrated. Hadn't she passed their little test? "I was off the floor. I even went upside down. _Thanks, by the way_."

"Yes," Snape agreed in faux pleasantness, "and you should have _stayed_ in the air and upside down until _I_ released you."

She swallowed uncomfortably.

"I-didn't-isn't that what you were doing with the-?"  
She used a hand to demonstrate her staggered fall towards the floor. Snape lifted a brow and his lip twitched briefly upwards.

"Hardly."

Dumbledore seemed to be staring at her anew. Sutton wasn't sure even a man of his wisdom and stature would know what to do with her. _She_ didn't even know what to do with her. Could she be the first person to travel through universes? It was unlikely that it had happened before. Let alone frequently enough that wizards had policy for it.

If there ever were a situation she'd been trying to avoid, it was this one. The last thing she wanted to be was an anomaly to the wizarding community. Even less so an oddity to the suspicious Snape or scheming Dumbledore.

"She knows who is responsible for the Chamber opening," Snape slyly added. "I heard it myself."

Sutton glared at the man and blinked a few times rapidly.

"Is this true, Miss Regan? Because that would be very prudent information to share."

"I don't- I _don't_ know," she tried to argue.

Snape spat hatefully back at her.

"People could _die_ , _Miss Regan. Children._ But you obviously-"

"Severus, please." Dumbledore tilted his head back to address him. "Thank you for your assistance. I believe I'll have a chat with Miss Regan alone now."

Snape was not happy to leave, he looked even more sour than usual if it were possible. But Sutton let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding after he was out of the room.

There was nothing to fiddle with as she found herself alone again with Albus. No necklaces or earrings to twist and no bangs to pull as she hadn't seen a stylist or a straightener in months. She sat once again as Dumbledore sat and waited for whatever came next. Doubtless he believed Snape after that little demonstration. But Sutton was resolved to not confess anything.

_She wouldn't be responsible for this world._

The headmaster was silent a moment as if in thought, and it gave Sutton enough time to realize that she was squirming and try to stifle it. As of hearing Snape confess that he _heard her_ when she thought about knowing who the culprit for writing on the wall was, she refused to make direct eye contact with anyone. Dumbledore finally sighed.

"I must say, this has been a most eventful day so far; and it isn't even lunch!"

Sutton didn't have it in her to find any humor in the statement at the moment. As far as she was concerned, the best case scenario coming out of this was getting fired and kicked out of Hogwarts. Worst case? Getting experimented on by the Ministry and having her memories wiped.

_If they're actually able to do that after what the recent evidence showed._

Either way, she wasn't looking forward to any of it. At her silence, he spoke up again more somberly.

"If you _do_ have information, Miss Regan, I hope you know the importance of _sharing_ it. Snape was not wrong when he pointed out that the stakes are high."

"And I would never want any child to be hurt," Sutton agreed. "But I have nothing I _can_ tell you."

She could tell that the answer displeased him, no matter how understanding he appeared. And to a certain extent, she was right there with him. He knew for certain now that there was something not normal about her, and probably fully believed she had relevant information that she wasn't sharing. But because of her outside knowledge, she was able to see the bigger picture in a way he couldn't, so _she_ had to be the one to protect him and his world from herself.

"I understand that now you probably don't trust me," she admitted. "And if you ask me to leave the school, I understand. But there is nothing I can do to help, despite the fact that I would _love_ to."

Another not well received answer if she were going by the way he steepled his hands.

"That is... _unfortunate_ to hear," he said with another sigh. "I am not going to ask you to leave Hogwarts. I don't believe you have any ill intent towards the students or otherwise. But you must know that this matter of you being resistant to magic cannot go ignored. Even if I could, what is the muggle term? Sweep it under the rug? No doubt Professor Snape would consider it his duty to alert people in the Ministry who have more pull than I."

Sutton had no doubt that he would. But that didn't stop her from making the blank face she was currently shooting at Dumbledore. Something about the way he had worded his last sentence felt off to her and put her on edge. There was the possibility she had just guaranteed a spot for herself the middle of his scheming.

When Sutton finally was allowed to leave the confrontation, she was frazzled like she hadn't been since first discovering that her dumb body could universe jump. She'd already missed all the morning chores, _not that she was necessarily complaining_ , and was more than a bit irritated in general. She felt like there was a live wire loose in her body and there was a tingling in her fingers she was still associating with adrenaline. All she wanted to do was head straight outside and ask Hagrid if she could chop some firewood.

Of course, who did she literally stumble into on her way out? None other than Draco's posse.

"Oi!"

Whichever one he was, Crabbe or Goyle, he was large in every way for his age and Sutton bet he could probably pick her up with one hand if she were in the way of him and a cauldron cake.

"Excuse me," she blurted automatically.

The boy stared down dumbly at her before a dim light shone behind his eyes and he looked over to his friends.

"Hey," he called. "Isn't this the girl you were talking about, Draco? The one with the big hair?"

Sutton was in no mood to deal with Draco Malfoy at the moment. She moved to walk around the boys, but was cut off by the rest of the group, with Draco in the forefront.

"Well," he drawled, "if it isn't Hogwart's most incompetent employee. Really, it's amazing you haven't been fired yet. Tell me, aren't you concerned about the monster from the Chamber at all? You're probably top of it's list, being a lowly _Squib_."

"It's no wonder you didn't end up in Ravenclaw," Sutton retorted, "that would mean you would have had to possess a _little_ bit of wit in that brain of yours."

Draco's face instantly heated up. As cool as he tried to appear for a twelve year old, he was amazingly easy to rile up. Sutton tried to blandly excuse herself once again, but Draco had decided he wanted to get the last word this time.

"I bet your family sent you over here because you're such an embarrassment," he sneered venomously. "They wanted you to be as far away from them as possible because they can't stand to look at you."

Something inside Sutton was bubbling over and she didn't even think as she lashed back.

"Oh really? _My family?_ I highly doubt yours is much better. The first time you fail at anything, your no-good parents will act like you disgraced the entire family line! I never had to meet my father, it's too bad you can't say the same."

She felt flushed after her attack, and sinfully good. There was too much she couldn't control at the moment and if Draco wanted to engage her in a war of words, than she'd more than happily fire back!

But honestly, she didn't expect to see the reaction that graced Draco's face. He seemed genuinely surprised by her explosion. His face reddened further, and she could tell his eyes had become slightly glassier. It was that look, the look of a hurt _child_ , that slapped her in the face.

_She was fighting with a twelve year old boy. She was purposefully trying to _ _ hurt _ _him._

Straightening, Sutton blinked in horror of her own actions.

" _Oh-oh yeah? Well_ _your_ _father-"_

"I'm sorry."

Draco instantly stopped in the middle of his retort and his friends froze as if shocked.

"You're... _sorry?_ "

He sounded flabbergasted and almost affronted by the apology.

"Yes," Sutton confirmed. She pushed her palms into her eye sockets briefly. "You're just a kid who really doesn't know much better, and I shouldn't have said that to you. No matter what the guy does, he's your _dad_ and you can love him _despite_ what he stands for. So, _yes_ , I'm sorry."

The group of Slytherins were all staring at her now in confusion. Draco was pursing his lips and furrowing his brow.

"Well," he finally floundered, "well at least you know your place, _Squib_."

Sutton felt deflated by the entire thing and only had enough energy to tug her lips up sadly.

"If only," she half snorted.

Her sudden change in temperament was enough to confuse the boys and send them scattering back through the castle. Sutton wasn't sure who came out of that encounter the victor.

"You apologized to Draco Malfoy."

The fact that there were other students around had escaped Sutton's attention, and she was a bit surprised to hear a voice pop up behind her. Sutton turned to find herself being studied by an older Slytherin girl. She was pretty, with calculating brown eyes, dark skin, and her hair tied in a kinky bun on the top of her head with a ribbon that constantly changed colors. Sutton's eyes darted briefly around the room as she tried to gauge where that comment was leading.

"Yes? I, uh, admittedly sorta went too far. I mean, he's a horribly bratty, racist little kid, but I still should've remembered that he's twelve. And insulting someone's family never really works with behavior modification. _No matter how true it is,_ " she muttered under her breath.

The girl, probably around fifteen or so, was still eyeing her curiously.

"People don't really apologize to Slytherins," she said, "whether they were wrong or not. I mean, I've seen some Hufflepuffs do it before, but not really anyone else."

Sutton shrugged, though she didn't miss the blatant confirmation of what house she'd been sorted into.

"Why'd you do it? He was being mean to you first."

"I guess," said Sutton, "because you Slytherins are people too. No one is perfect, and when you do something wrong, you need to own up to it."

The Slytherin girl thought over Sutton's answer and her face broke out into an amused smirk.

"You're ok," she finally decided. "Maybe some non-purebloods aren't so bad after all."

"And maybe not all Slytherins are mean."

They exchanged grins, and Sutton watched as the girl turned to head to whatever class she had next. She felt a little bit better.

"Your ribbon is really cool, by the way!"

The girl smiled over her shoulder as she continued to walk.

"Of course it is; I charmed it myself!"

**[][][]**

Later that afternoon, Sutton was accosted by another downy owl. This one instead dropped a ribbon into her hand. One that flashed every color.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Any likes/dislikes? Have anything you're interested in seeing? Do you have a working theory on that Berenstain Bear parallel universe thing, because I *know* that chizz was BerenstEIN.


	13. Lost A Bit of Its Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a change in scenery. Loki continues scheming. Family angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some mild British language in this chapter? But nothing that the Harry Potter books didn't use.

Sutton still wasn't feeling settled as afternoon came on, nor could she find Hagrid, so she decided to head back to the hut for a bit of time alone. There was an uneasiness growing in her gut that made her wonder if she were going to be jumping out of this universe soon. After going through it twice now, she couldn't quite ignore feelings of illness like she would've liked to.

Alone in the dwelling Sutton walked back to her room and dug through her small stash of belongings. She gathered up her old Tatooine clothes and found Hagrid's small sewing kit in the main room, and then she sat at the table to work.

_Of course the guy would_ _magically_ _give a kid a pig tail, but resort to using a sewing kit for mending torn trousers._

_Did she really just think the word 'trousers'?_

In her heart of hearts, she knew she wouldn't wear the Tatooine garments again. She associated them too much with garbage and horrid smells. Additionally, they were amazingly uncomfortable. She assumed they were woven from some tough fiber, and now that she had clothes a bit more cozy she wasn't going back. But she still wanted to keep them. They  _were_  authentic, after all. So, she began her project of cutting up the shirt and other large sections.

A few hours later she had a crude drawstring bag that she inspected proudly. It wasn't her best project, but she thought it worked out nicely for not having a sewing machine. Testing out the opening, she pulled at it until it had expanded to its fullest, dropped her new ribbon inside, and then pulled on the string straps. The opening puckered closed and Sutton felt some small victory.

_There! Now she could just have this bag with her at all times and hopefully be able to transport things with her if she suddenly teleported._

Thinking about it further, Sutton dropped a few snacks into the bag as well.

There was enough food in the hut that she could throw together a small lunch. She really didn't think she could stomach a trip to the teacher's lounge at the moment. Whatever Dumbledore had in mind for her was far from over, and she didn't want to run the risk of being caught as the new subject of school gossip.

_Surely, after all, the portraits talked to each other._

She was just waking from a short nap when she heard a tapping at the front door. With a short moan, she sluggishly pulled herself from her bed, blindly groping for her new bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she rubbed at her eyes.

_Crap. What if someone was coming to check on why she wasn't working? At least she could make it look like she'd been about to._

"I was just heading out to-"

She hadn't had the mind to wonder who'd be knocking in the first place, but she was delighted to find it was actually everyone's favorite trio.

"Oh, hey," she said more brightly than she'd been feeling a moment ago. "Uh, Hagrid isn't here right now."

Harry was the one to answer.

"We're not looking for Hagrid, actually," he said. "We were wondering if you wanted to come hang out with us in the Gryffindor common room?"

Sutton was silent for a beat.

"Oh, um, sure! Yeah! Right now? Are you guys out of classes already?"

_Had she slept that long? Why did they want to hang out with her?_

"Yes," Hermione spoke up. "And please do!"  
"Yeah; Fred and George won't stop talking about you. Seem to think you've got some interesting secret."

"Ron!"

"What!"  
Sutton snickered a bit as she stepped past the threshold and closed the door behind her.

"Well, everyone has their secrets, I suppose."

"You don't have to tell my brothers if you don't want to," Ron insisted. "They can be a couple of gits, if you ask me!"

"You know you love them," Sutton said mock sternly. "So, am I going to get to see Gryffindor Tower, or not?"

Sutton soon found herself crawling through a tunnel behind the Fat Lady's portrait and actually into the Gryffindor common room. There were other students milling about, though they mostly spoke in hushed voices as their eyes darted about as if watching for an assailant. Talk of the Chamber opening was a hot topic due to it's recency and severity, but it was a topic Sutton could do with avoiding.

_She'd probably accidentally mention a giant snake or spiders or something._

And she was a bit suspicious of the trio anyway. After two months she'd come to know them a little better. They could recognize her, knew her name, and knew she could bake decently. But it wasn't like she interacted with them daily. Not enough to warrant a spontaneous 'hang out session'. Besides, Ron had already practically given their motive away.

But she wasn't going to complain.

The common room evoked feelings of comfort, warmth, and cuddling down for a long autumn day. The light from the fireplace made the reds and gold glow extra richly and cast a warm gleam on everything in the room. The boys quickly started up a game of Wizard's chess, with Ron much more excited about it than Harry, and Sutton sat near Hermione who'd already cracked open a book. Sutton entertained herself by asking Hermione an endless drove of questions which the girl always had an answer for.

"And that's the difference between a charm and a spell. Simple, really!"

"Well, yeah, when you explain it like that."

Hermione had already finished half a scroll of homework by the time Harry and Ron had finished their game and convinced her and Sutton to join them in a game of Exploding Snap. They had to instruct Sutton on all the rules, but it was a fairly simple card game. Or, at least they stuck to the simple version of it for her. It was like some anxiety inducing form of "Go Fish". There were quite a few laughs spawned from Sutton's surprised shrieks.

It was right in the middle of their second game when two things happened at once. Harry had just lurched forward to tap a matching card when there was a flash of light in front of them followed almost instantly by a loud explosion from right behind. All four of them shrieked as they tried to duck out of the way. Sutton's heart was pounding as she peeked behind her at the sound of rolling laugher.

"You bloody gits," Ron shouted.

Fred and George were bent over in wheezing laughter behind the couches.

"You should have seen your faces," one of the twins gasped. "Priceless!"

"I did!"  
A voice spoke up from the other end of the room, where the light had been, and Sutton took notice of a small, large-eyed boy with a big, old fashioned camera.

"I got a picture of it," he cheered happily.

_"Colin,"_ Harry muttered under his breath unhappily.

"Wait here," Colin called. "I'll develop it so you all can see it! I learned how to do it so that the pictures move! Harry, isn't that fantastic! Maybe then you can sign it!"

And then he was off before Harry could utter a simple,  _"err, no."_

Sutton and the trio directed their scorn to Fred and George.

"There is a monster loose in the school that petrified Filch's cat, and you two are pulling pranks," Hermione scolded. The twins just grinned widely.

"It's not healthy to be worried about mythical beasts all the time," one pointed out.

Sutton's heart rate hadn't calmed as much as it should have and she glared at the trouble makers.

"You two are actively trying to kill me."

"Actually," both boys hopped over the couch and landed on the cushions, "we've kept you alive, if we remember correctly. Do we remember correctly, Fred?"

"Oh,  _we do_."

"You two," Ron snorted in question, " _help someone?"_

"Don't act so surprised, Ron" Fred chided. "We'd help  _anyone_  if it meant getting one over on Snape."

"Snape," Harry said in surprise. "How'd you get in trouble with him?"

"Yes," the twins smiled maliciously. "How  _did_  you?"

"I see what this is," Sutton deadpanned. "This was all an elaborate ploy to try and get me to spill secrets, huh?"

Harry and Ron looked a little sheepish.

"They told us you might know about the Chamber," Harry admitted.

"But we really do like you," Ron assured. "Anyone who can put Malfoy in his place is ok in my book!"

Sutton's chest felt tight. Something was wrong and she should probably get somewhere she could be alone.

"Yeah, well, Draco's a kid who's never been taught anything but hate. So of course he'll be insufferable," she said distractedly. "You know what? I better go, actually."

"Wait, wait! Do you? Know anything about the Chamber, that is," Harry asked.

Hermione scowled at herself.

"I knew I should have brought my  _Hogwarts: A History_! There was just no room in my trunks!"

It was one thing to (poorly) lie to adults, but there was something more guilt inducing about lying to children. Especially these ones, _darn it._

Over fifteen minutes of trying to slyly deny any special knowledge didn't slide with the twins. They'd innocently point out inconsistencies in everything she'd said to them and keep the younger three children begging for more information.

"I  _can't_  tell you anything," she finally snapped.

"So you  _do_  know something," said Fred.

"I  _really_  need to leave. I don't- I don't feel well."

" _Grown ups,_ " muttered Ron. "They always think they know better."

The common room door suddenly burst open and Colin Creevey, Harry Potter's personal paparazzi, stumbled into the room panting.

"I did it! It's done! I got it done extra fast for you, Harry! Do you want to see it? It's brilliant!"

Sutton made sure her bag was still firmly on her shoulders as her legs began to tingle.

"Er, that's nice, Colin," she heard Harry reply.

The twins vaulted off the couch and snatched the photo from the younger boy. Their guffaws made it clear that Colin had probably caught their reactions during the explosion.

"Take a look at this Sutton; you look ridiculous!"  
"It's great!"

The picture was pushed into her hand and Sutton gripped it tightly without seeing, because she needed to hold on to  _something_. Her stomach was churning violently now and her legs wouldn't move.  _It was too late._

"Are you ok," asked Hermione. "You don't look well."

"If-if you guys could back up a little, that'd be great."

The children looked concerned now and Sutton closed her eyes against a wave of pain.

"You guys wanted to know my secret," she laughed while wincing. "Well, this is it."

"What's going on" Harry asked worriedly. "Do you need Madam Pomfrey?"

"No,  _no._ She can't help. Look, don't be,  _ow_ , don't be scared, ok? But I'm about to disappear."

"I thought you were a Squib," Ron protested. "What's going on?"

Sutton hissed a sigh of frustration as she let a wave of pain run it's course.

_Aw, what the heck._

"I'm not anything here," Sutton said. "I travel through places,  _worlds._  So, no matter what, don't worry about me. I've done this before. I'll-I'll be fine."

"What!"

"That's crazy!"

"That doesn't make any sense. That's impossible."

"Tell Hagrid sorry I left on-on such short notice," Sutton wheezed. "Also,  _just a note_ , Reubus is a  _way_  better name than Sev-Severus, right, Harry?"

"You're not making any sense," Harry said. He sounded distressed and Sutton felt bad for it.

"Just keep that in mind for me."

It was getting harder to concentrate on anything. She could only see blurs of light and feel the pain jumping universes created. Voices were detached and far away, like down a tunnel.

"Her legs!"

"Merlin's beard!"  
And then something was different, wrong.

_So, so wrong._

A new wave of pain erupted up out of her bones and through her muscle. Now she wasn't just being pulled apart, she was being electrocuted too. She couldn't help from crying out, her scream high and scared.

_She could only vaguely hope the children weren't too traumatized._

**_[][][]_ **

_"Got it!"_

Sutton was conscious, helpless, but aware. There were loud  _whirring_  noises around her, and the scuffle of feet on floor.

"Stay  _back_ , Rose," a voice was saying. "A creature with this much power is bound to be-" the voice tapered off in disbelief before ending in, " _a girl?"_

"Did you say a girl?"  
Sutton groaned wearily. She really couldn't move. It was a miracle that she was even awake. A pair of shoes appeared in her line of vision. With some struggle, she recognized them as Converse. They were attached to blue slacks, but Sutton couldn't raise her head up to see the rest of the person. She really didn't need to either.

_"No,"_ she groaned into the floor. "I just wanna go  _home_."

"Docta'," the other voice, Rose, said. "Who is she?"

"I don't know," The Doctor said. "And I really don't like not knowing."

Sutton moaned again. Her body was still stiff, her muscles taut and fists clenched. Paper in one hand crinkled from the tightness of her grip. They were talking about her as if she  _wasn't_  prostrate on the floor and obviously injured.

"I know," she panted, "I know you're not a  _real_  doctor, but... a little help would be nice."

"Right, right. Sorry."

There was a pause, the unmistakable sound of a sonic screwdriver followed by a surprised hum, before she felt arms lifting her.

"Up you go, then."

Sutton could finally see the pair, though it already wasn't a surprise. The tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler were staring at her like the anomaly she was. The Doctor's hair was mussed and spiky as usual, and it complimented his blue pinstripe suit. Rose was dressed more casually in jeans and a t-shirt. She seemed to realize something and held up a finger.

"Oh, just a minute. I'll fetch you some wa 'er."

Her accent was distinctly different from the one's the trio had at Hogwarts.

As Rose left to fetch water, The Doctor kneeled down to be more in her line of sight.

"Well, let's have a look at you then," he said. "I just can't believe that  _you're_  the one that's been causing all this trouble.  _Extraordinary._ "

Sutton's mind still felt like it was putting itself back together and she stared at him dumbly for a moment.

"Excuse me? Trouble? I-I, what?"  
"Oh yeah," The Doctor whistled. "How do you think you caught my attention? You haven't exactly been subtle, love."

Rose was back with the water and Sutton took a moment to drink it greedily.

"Thank you," she managed when the last drop was gone.

The water helped a little, though she'd only just managed to hold the cup her arms were shaking so much. She had probably spilled at least a third what was in it. Rose and the Doctor were eyeing her in curiosity bordering on concern.

"Well, you know our names now," the Doctor noted. "What's yours?"

Sutton took in a deep, steadying breath and answered truthfully once again.

"Sutton," she said. "Sutton Regan."

Looking around the room for the first time, she realized she was in  _the_  TARDIS _._

_It looked a bit dingy, actually._

"Well, Sutton," the Doctor said, "just what are you doing, zipping around the galaxies?"  
Sutton flinched back and blinked owlishly.

"Wha-what?"

" _Well,"_ the Doctor tilted his head to the side and squinted as he drew out the word. "I  _did_  intercept you from wherever it was you were headed. Sorry 'bout that. But you're really not traveling responsibly."

"Traveling," Rose interjected. "But she doesn't evan 'ave a TARDIS or rocket ship or anything."

"Probably why shes' causing so much trouble," the Doctor explained. He turned back to Sutton. "So what  _are_ you using to get around,  _hm_?"

It was still hard to think. Sutton was a bit stuck on the whole  _intercepted_  bit that she couldn't quite wrap her head around.

"Travel in? No, I- I, I'm not using anything. Causing trouble? I haven't done...anything here. What are you talking about?"

The Doctor seemed shocked at her declaration of not possessing any vehicle of transport.

"Well of course you're using  _something_ ," he scoffed. "That much energy couldn't have been all from  _you_."

Sutton just grimaced sheepishly and shrugged. The Doctor's eyebrows rose up his forehead.

" _No,"_  he drawled as if in scandal. His eyes took on a shine at the new mystery she presented.

The realization that the Doctor was probably the only real character who she could tell her story to and possibly get help from suddenly had her face aglow.

"Actually," she said, "maybe you can help me!"

Sutton knew in her head that she shouldn't raise her hopes up too high, but as she told her story to Rose and the Doctor she couldn't help but envision being back in her small apartment within in the next week.

_How lovely would that be!_

When she was through spilling all her just days ago well guarded secrets, Rose and the Doctor stared at her like she was a previously undiscovered life-form.

"No, tha's not possible," Rose said. Her face was pinched and severe, eyes almost glaring in her denial. "I'm a real person." She looked up to the Doctor for support. "I  _know_  I am. We're not just some-some made up story!"

Telling her tale had drained Sutton, but not enough to not notice she'd put Rose in distress.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean, well-"

How could she counter that? To her, they  _were_  story characters come to life.

"You're real," Sutton tried to reassure. "It's just, in  _my_  world you were TV characters.  _Here_  you're real."

It didn't seem to be helping her cause any. Rose was still looking to the Doctor, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"She can't be tellin' the truth, can she? Docta'?"

Sometime during her story, the Doctor had stood up and now stared down at her with his hands pushed down in the pockets of his pants.

"So, you recognized us the minute you saw us," he asked.

Sutton sighed a bit and took a deep breath.

"You're the Doctor from the planet Gallifrey. You met Rose as your previous regeneration,  _which we call Nine_ , and some of your first words to her were,

_Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!_

Rose's last name is Tyler, her dad died while she was a baby, and her mom has never remarried. This is a picture of me with Harry Potter."

She stared up at the duo innocently and blinked purposefully while flipping her hand with the photograph over, since it was too heavy to lift.

"Alright," said the Doctor after absorbing her answer and glancing at the picture. "Fair enough."

Rose looked scandalized by the Doctor's acceptance of Sutton's story.

"How can she be tellin' the truth," she asked, "if you were able to sense her with the TARDIS? If she wasn't in this-this universe, you shouldn' of known she existed."

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted a bit uneasily.

"But you can help me, right?"

"I'm not sure about that yet either."

At Sutton's distressed face, the Doctor rushed to clarify himself.

"But I'm going to try! Don't you worry 'bout that."

"Oh, thank you," Sutton gushed. "Thank you so much!"

She only just now felt like she could start moving her limbs, and it had taken awhile for her to tell her story. It was terribly inconvenient. And although she'd managed not to heave this time, she still felt somehow weaker than the times before. It sent a concerned  _ping_ through her thoughts, but she brushed it away quickly. She looked at the picture for the first time in order to distract herself and smiled as much as she was able.

It was ridiculous. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and her were all calmly playing cards before the twins heads popped up behind the couch and the explosion went off. Their reacting faces were oscar worthy.

_None of the Avengers could ever see this_.

The TARDIS made a loud alarmed  _whooping_ noise and the Doctor jumped back to the controls.

"Whoops!" He flipped a few switches and spun some dials in quick succession. "She doesn't like idling in space too long," he explained.

Despite still not having the energy to stand, Sutton's eyes gleamed a bit.

"In space in the TARDIS," she said in wonder.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Loki strolled down the Bifrost bridge, hands loosely clasped behind his back while projecting an indifferent air about the two guards assigned to oversee him. The tall, imposing figure of Heimdall stood steadfastly at the end of the bridge, his back to Loki as he stared out over the stars. Loki suppressed a tinge of unease at being so near the openness of space.

_There were still eyes out there searching for him._

"Loki," Heimdall acknowledged in his deep, booming voice. He did not need to turn to know who it was that had approached. "I assume your visit has to do with Thor's recent departure."

Loki stilled as he stood alongside Heimdall and hummed in the back of his throat.

"It warranted slight interest," he conceded. "Especially given the nearness of the Convergence."

Heimdall was silent, as were the guards that had stopped a respectable distance behind the pair. The tension between the two men, given their history, was almost palatable, with the distinct unease of even a small nudge being able to send it spiraling. But Loki gave no intention of apologizing and Heimdall would not be inclined to forgive even if he had.

"It makes one wonder what could have been  _so important_  as to send Thor flying to Midgard at such a perilous time. Surely, it was a matter of utmost importance."

Heimdall remained steadfastly silent, only his gaze hardening as he continued his watch of the universe. Loki  _tsked_  a bit sardonically under his breath.

"But we both know that is not the case. He goes running back to his mortal lover and leaves Asgard to herself."

It was then that Heimdall deigned to look down at the smaller Asgardian.

"If you came looking for confirmation, you will not get neither a  _yes_ or  _no_ from me. You will remember that the Allfather gave you only so much freedom. Commanding me is not amongst those liberties."

Loki managed to maintain his smug expression despite it all. His lips curled at the ends in a cold smirk.

"Of course," he said. "And we both know I hardly need confirmation. It is only polite that they both be greeted upon arrival, for Thor is bound to bring her back with him."

And he was correct, and had impeccable timing, for it was then that Heimdall had to move in order to open the Bifrost and bring the two passengers across the cosmos.

Thor stepped into the Bifrost and his woman came stumbling less gracefully beside him. She was smiling widely and laughing in awe and joy at the experience.

"Ok, we  _have_  to do that again."

Heimdall greeted them both first, and Loki met Thor's eyes noting the apprehension he tried to conceal. Jane's smile died the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Hello," he greeted smoothly. "You may have heard of me, I'm -"

He was rewarded with a fist to his face, and he turned his head with it in order to save her from injury. It was impressive in itself that she could reach up so high.

" _That was for New York,"_ she hissed. "Thor, what- _what_  is he doing here?"

"Oh, I like her." Loki gave his brother an amused smirk as he rubbed his jaw for effect.

Thor grit his teeth, if the clenching of his jaw was any indicator.

"Loki was temporarily paroled," Thor explained. "We were given warning that an enemy may be upon us. And  _Loki_  provided suggestions for defense that reassured the people of Asgard while I was away fighting for peace among the realms."

Jane squinted openly at Loki, unconvinced.

"So he destroys half of New York city and gets off with a slap on the wrist?  _Seriously?_ "

Loki bowed mockingly.

"I like to consider it a chance at redemption, Lady Jane."

Jane continued to glare.

"Come," Thor interrupted. "Lest we become distracted further from the true purpose of bringing you here."

Jane blushed lightly as she took Thor's offered hand.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Loki tailed along behind the pair uninvited, and the guards over him followed as well. Actually, he had probably been subtly dismissed. But obliging people had never really been his style.

"And just what  _is_ the point of this lovely little visit,  _hm_?"

He received two sets of glares for that inquiry. Like everything else, it did not deter him.

"Taking dear Jane to meet the in-laws? Surely it could have waited if that were the case."

Thor shot him a look that Loki hadn't seen in a while. It was a more familiar frustrated expression that said Thor knew Loki wouldn't let up until he got his way. Funny, because it had usually been Loki giving  _Thor_  that look on their many childhood adventures.

"Jane is ill," Thor bit out. "I am taking her to our healers."

That piqued his interest. He quickened his pace so that he matched their stride.

"Truly," he said sounding concerned. " _How terrible._  What could possibly ail you, Lady Jane?"

"Right now, you are," she bit out.

Loki grinned widely and crooned as he directed his attention to Thor.

"My, you pick them well, brother. This one fears nothing."

Jane whirled to face him in fury, her eyes blazing unnaturally brightly for a moment as she did so.

"You're nothing to be afraid of. If you didn't have an army to back you up, or that cosmic cube, you'd- oh!"

Loki was glaring daggers, but Jane was already peering eagerly up to Thor.

"You have the cube, right? Isn't that what got you all to that other universe? Do you think I can take a look at it after we see the healers?"

Thor was a bit surprised at the sudden change of conversation.

"How did you learn of our journey to another realm," he asked.

"Tony Stark told me," she said simply. "I've been working with him trying to find that girl, Sutton?"

Both brothers were suddenly at attention, but for entirely different reasons. Jane was distracted for a moment, gaping at the towering architecture and various technologies Asgard had to offer as they neared the palace gates.

"What of Sutton," Thor asked, drawing her attention back. "Has she gone missing?"

"Obviously," Loki drawled with an accompanied eye-roll.

Jane eyed Loki warily as she continued to cling to Thor.

"Her molecular structure couldn't stabilize with that of our universe," she explained. "Tony has assembled a small team of scientists to try and track her and bring her back. Who knows what universe she's ended up in. So, if the cube is what originally enabled your inter dimensional travel, giving it a look over would be a huge help!"

"Loki," Thor said suddenly, "leave us."

Loki blinked in a moment of silence, but he recovered quickly.

" _Brother_ ," he chided, " _really_. I don't see-"

"I do not trust you, Loki." Thor was taking a firm stance on this. "You tried to take advantage of the girl before."

"Did you really consider that  _trying?_ And, surely you know, that was the  _old me."_

Thor raised one brow.

"It was merely a year ago."

"Yes, and you came home a changed man after a few  _days_ of being influenced by the care of a woman."

Thor's expression flattened further.

"Go, Loki, of your own free will while you can."

The guards were already starting to shift behind them, and Loki knew which battles to fight and which to let go.

"If it would ease your mind," he conceded with a dip of his head. " _Wonderful to meet you,_  Miss Foster."

He complied in leaving them then, only the drifting voice of Jane Foster reaching him before he was out of earshot.

_"Why would Loki care about Sutton?"_

Why,  _indeed._  He did not need the rest of the conversation to put the pieces together anyway. An unfortunate setback, to be sure, but nothing that couldn't be remedied with time. And perhaps, even, without much effort on his own part.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Tyrese gripped the shield tightly with two hands and stared at it in perplexed wonder.

"So it's real," he said in a hushed voice. "I told you!"

"Hold on, that's not what I said." His father, Howard, held his hands out in a gesture of halting. "I just said that the man I sent this to to be examined said that it was made of a substance unknown to science as of yet."

"Yes," Tyrese agreed in excitement. "Which means it  _has_  to be real! Don't you get it? Sutton probably met Captain America! And maybe even the other Avengers! And they probably saved her!"

" _Tyrese_ ," his mother cut in, "I know you're worried about Sutton, we  _all_  are, but you're too old for this now. You know that superheroes are imaginary."

She reached out to brush his hair, but the boy jerked away.

"Why are grownups always so  _dumb?"_

_"Tyrese!"_

"You just don't want to think that she's ok! You  _want_  her to be hurt, or dead!"

"That is enough! Apologize to your mother right now!"

Tyrese tilted his chin up, still clutching the shield.

"I'm sorry you both can't see the truth," he said instead. "Sutton left us two clues, this shield and the note. There's even that weird video from youtube. But you both don't want to believe it. It's not any more crazy than her being a terrorist! Maybe she's even trying to get back home right now."

Lindsay and Howard Stringer sat in a forced quiet. Lindsay bowed her head low, dropping it into her hands and fought back another surge of tears. Howard looked helplessly at his son and wife, fists clenching and relaxing in his lap.

"We all love Sutton," his mother finally said quietly. "We all want her to be ok. We all want her to  _come home."_

Tyrese's grip on the shield was quaking, his fingers paler than usual from the force.

" _Baby_."

Lindsay held her arms open and Tyrese pursed his lips, trembling now, before dropping the shield and embracing his mother. He burst into tears then, large and shattering and heartbreakingly childlike.

"I just want them to send her home," he cried into his mother's shirt. "I w-want her to help with my homework and make videos with me and tell me stories again."

Howard reached over to stroke his son's back, and both parents shared a hopeless look after an uneasy glance at the shield. It was unusual, yes, but it couldn't  _possibly_  be what Tyrese insisted on. Could it?

"I know you do, Ty." Lindsay ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. "I know you do."

Tyrese found momentary relief in the sound of his mother's heartbeat, though the tears still continued to streak down his face.

His theory was the only one that made sense! Because if Sutton wasn't with the Avengers, she would have come home by now.

_She would have._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it seemed a bit preemptive that Sutton left the universe of Harry Potter, sorry. I felt like she'd spent a lot of time there, and it was time for her to go. After all, her story arch doesn't follow the characters that she interacts with. And I didn't want her to stay there an entire school year! I suppose Dumbledore will never see his scheming come to fruition. :/
> 
>  
> 
> If you guys would like to review, I wouldn't complain! ;)


	14. Doctor Recommendation: Live A Little

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton gets dragged into another adventure. Tony gets angsty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the next chapter! If anyone hasn't seen/isn't really into Doctor Who, don't worry! I'm trying to be conscious about explaining things and I probably won't go into anything too deep. He is basically an alien who can travel time and space and gets himself into trouble saving the universe.  
> If you do become confused by something, or would like to ask a question about anything in general, feel free to send me a note!

The sky was dim and purple, with blazing stars and bright light from three large moons that spread across the horizon. If this was day, Sutton wondered if night was even something that existed here. Various alien races mingled the streets in what looked to be a downtown district center. The architecture was a bit grandiose, more so than the budget of the BBC show could ever have allotted, and the buildings almost shined iridescently. She'd changed into some normal clothes for the first time in too long, and was sitting with the Doctor and Rose in a small alien cafe, sipping on something that reminded her of tea. The Doctor had suggested it as the safest choice, and she had taken him up on it, not feeling particularly daring at the moment.

"So what you're telling me," the Doctor said, "is that you have the ability to alter the history or reality of a universe based solely on whatever _you_ think is _nifty_. Or what other humans, from your universe, could believe."

Sutton snuck another sip of her drink before answering. The bowl-shaped cup was starting to cool already.

"That's about it," she acknowledged. "But, um, I don't think I can manipulate free will, if it makes you feel better."

One of the Doctor's brows rose high on his forehead.

"And how did you manage to learn that?"  
She gave a sheepish grin and shrugged.

"I might have tried to get the librarian at Hogwarts to let me stay after the library closed. It didn't work."

Rose hadn't touched her own drink. She still eyed Sutton with a borderline suspicion.

"You tried to _control_ her?"

"No, I-I mean, it didn't work! I just wanted to read for longer, it wasn't like I was trying to-to change her or make her do...do-"

A heat consumed her face as she dropped her head to stare into her cup.

"It was stupid," she muttered. Rose continued to look offended. "And I guess I shouldn't have done it. _Not that she was particularly nice anyway._ "

"Wha' if she tried to do that to _us?_ "

"I won't!"

The Doctor didn't seem to be giving the conversation his undivided attention. He was tapping his fingers on the table and staring out into the crowds of beings distractedly. There was a depth to his distraction, as if something were troubling him, or he was thinking hard about something. Sutton wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Docta'!"

"Right, right. She'll be fine, won't you Sutton?"

"I've been trying _to not_ change anything when I end up places."

"See? She'll behave; everything's brilliant."

He hopped up then, his hands diving for his pockets as he spun on his heel.

"What'ya say we check things out a bit, eh?"

Sutton and Rose both stood with glances at each other. In that moment both shared the sentimentality that the Doctor was brushing off the conversation a bit.

They both followed the Doctor into the city. In contrast to the permanently dark sky, the local residents of the planet dressed in bright pastels. There were predominantly blues and reds and purples which all appeared almost washed out or watercolor. The local beings themselves were humanoid, Sutton decided, although they were much taller than the average human, and they did not have human facial features. They were more lizard-like than anything. And she'd never met a human with three eyes.

Having no valid currency for this planet, Sutton contented herself with window shopping. As per usual, the Doctor had an encyclopedia's worth of knowledge of the planet and freely explained the history, cultural norms, and what the future would hold for them. Sutton was just proud of herself for not gawking like she had back on Tatooine.

Rose and the Doctor were walking a bit ahead of her after a awhile and she let them have some space. She couldn't help her eyes from darting back to where they'd parked the TARDIS. There was still some time before her body realized it had messed up _again_ and zapped her somewhere else. Just the thought made her feel tired. But if Tony and Bruce could accomplish alternate universe travel in a couple months, then the Doctor shouldn't have a problem, right? He dealt with this sort of stuff all the time.

What sounded similar to a deep church bell rang through the air and a noise rose up with it that sounded like it was from a mass of people. It was solemn, almost mournful and haunting.

With a disturbed huff Sutton jogged to catch back up with the couple. Rose was giggling at something the Doctor had said and he was smirking smugly. Sutton rolled her eyes. She attempted to playfully leap the last couple steps to catch up, but winced as a pain shot up her legs as if she'd jabbed a bruise. Unease at the lingering after effects of her 'jump' tried to eat at her, but she shoved it down to admire the planet around her. The architecture would probably look brilliant if it were ever daylight here. Since it seemed that a majority of the planet's day was spent in a dusk-like state, most buildings were made of glass to let as much light in as possible. Even in the low lighting they reflected many colors.

"What are the aliens here called again," Sutton asked. Coming along the other side of the Doctor, she peered around him to the streets beyond. There were various alleyways that lined the road, and their dimness made them seem even more secretive.

"Cheeroks," he answered. "Very spiritual beings and quite peaceful, which is good for us!"

"Yeah," Sutton agreed. "And I'd rather it stayed that way."

"You sound doubtful," Rose pointed out.

"With good reason, you have to admit. How many _actual_ peaceful, _safe_ trips have you been on in the TARDIS?"

Rose glanced at the Doctor from the corner of her eye.

"Fair enough."

A looming, dark figure suddenly darted down one of the alleys in front of them. Sutton instinctively startled and shuffled back. From its size, Sutton assumed it was one of the Cheeroks. But it had to have been carrying something because it had looked much wider in the middle than the aliens actually were. For something so large, it sure had moved silently!

The figure also caught the Doctor's attention, unfortunately.

"Well hello," he murmured to himself. "What do we have here?"

Rose was peering down the alley as well and Sutton stood behind them, waving her hands in a wide slicing motion.

"Oh, _no_! We are _not_ going to follow that thing down a dark alley on a dark planet with aliens who do _who-knows-what_ for fun in their spare time! No! This is exactly how things like Daleks and Cybermen and whatever else get involved!" But Sutton felt like she had instantly been demoted to background character as Rose and the Doctor both shot down the alley way to follow the alien.

_"Why did I think for one second,"_ she muttered under her breath.

She begrudgingly took off after them. The Cheerok had heard the not-too-quiet footsteps of their group and turned to face them swiftly. Its eyes landed on the Doctor and the third eye on its forehead flashed momentarily.

"Stay back," it hissed.

Sutton knew that the TARDIS provided translations for foreign and alien languages, but it was still odd to see a lizard-like alien speaking english. Even if it _wasn't technically_ speaking english. And why did it automatically have a British accent anyway?

Since they were closer to it now, Sutton could make out that the large round oddity the Cheerok was carrying looked strangely like an egg. If eggs were ever as large as your torso. The Doctor held up both hands and gave the alien a grin.

" 'ello! There's no need to worry. I'm the Doctor and these are my companions. We mean you no harm. I'm just wondering where you're off to with an almost hatching Cheerok egg?"

_Companion! He'd called her one of his companions!_

_Wait. Focus. Egg? Hatching?_

_"Silence!"_

The Cheerok cradled the egg close to its body, every eye darting around the alley wildly.

"If you really mean no harm, you will leave now and speak of this to no one!"

"You need to get that egg back to an incubator," the Doctor insisted.

"And you are hindering me," the Cheerok countered. It glared at them angrily and with mistrust before Sutton saw its third eye flash again. It sighed in frustration and then gestured with its shoulders.

"Hurry; come if you must. I can linger no longer."

The Doctor appeared to have gotten the answer he wanted, and they scurried after the much taller being. Sutton was hustling even faster than she normally had to in order to try and keep up. It seemed like every quick three steps of hers covered just one of the alien's.

It led them further down the dark alley, turning various corners that Sutton knew she would have missed in the minimal lighting. Shortly they came to a point where the Cheerok stopped and stomped three times on the ground. After a moment one of the cobblestones was pulled away and it opened up to a dark tunnel. The Cheerok squatted down and lithely leapt down into the darkness with the egg still in its grasp, and the Doctor followed right after. Rose hesitated, peering down into the hole and Sutton saddled up beside her.

"Are you really going to jump," Sutton asked nervously.

"I suppose we 'ave to." Rose paused as the Doctor called up to them to hurry up. "C'mon then."

She hopped trustingly into the tunnel, her eyes shining with adventure. Sutton groaned in the back of her throat and inched closer to the edge. Lowering herself to her rear, she let her feet dangle over the edge and stretched her toes out as if she might be able to reach the ground from there.

"C'mon, Sutton! This egg doesn't have forever!"

"Well," she groaned, "here goes nothing."

The drop was farther than she had even expected, probably due to the height of the Cheeroks. Thankfully, the Doctor was gentlemanly enough to help break her fall at the end. Still, she stumbled slightly as she tried to regain her footing, and a few more pains shot up her legs and into her lower spine. Her wince didn't go unnoticed by the Doctor, if his frown was any sort of evidence. Sutton grinned falsely in order to try and reassure him, and they were following the alien down the tunnel before anything could be said on the matter. There was another Cheerok figure down with them now, it had to have been the one to open and replace the stone in the street, and it growled in a lower voice than the one holding the egg.

"And what are _they_ doing here, Nihir? You _know the risks._ "

"We have no time for talking. The egg is growing colder by the moment and the hatching is upon us."

That seemed to shut the other alien up, and they continued on in the tunnel. It was obviously dark, as they _were_ underground, but there were glass balls of light lining the walls at spaced intervals that provided enough illumination to see by.

The tunnel opened up a few yards down and it reminded Sutton of a post apocalyptic bunker from the movies. There were crates stacked along one dirt wall with various supplies, and a large, circular module in the center of the room. The module had a few other eggs in it, and a light seemed to defuse within the contraption itself. The Cheerok referred to as Nihir hurried to gently lay the egg inside what Sutton was assuming was the incubator. As the egg settled inside the device, Nihir held up a clawed hand to its face and let out a noise that sounded almost like a choked sob.

"You are safe now, child," it said in a tone that reminded Sutton of her own mother. "You will live. _You will live._ "

The second alien placed a hand on Nihir's shoulder and stared at the incubator with a hard gaze before directing its attention to their group. Its third eye flashed as it looked at them, and some of the tension in its shoulders relaxed as it did so.

"And who are you," it asked, still sounding a bit suspicious.

"The Docta', at your service!"

Sutton rolled her eyes at his enthusiastic theatrics.

"He's a Time Lord," Rose added as if that information would help. "And I'm Rose; a human."

Forgoing a wave, Sutton sighed deeply.

"Sutton, human. _Wants to go home and_ _not_ _die."_

The Cheerok's tail twitched beneath it's robes, causing Sutton to notice it had one, and still seemed hesitant.

"I am Vohoan," it said. "And she is Nihir. If you are as good as I believe you are, you will speak of this place or of us to no one."

"About that," the Doctor drawled, "what _exactly_ is going on? Those eggs should be in private incubators with their respective families. Why are you lot smuggling them around?"

Nihir rejoined them from her place next to the incubator, her hands clasped together tightly. She was marginally taller than Vohoan, but their species were hard to differentiate genders as they had similar body builds and no hair.

"We are forced to smuggle eggs where we can," Nihir said, "because of the atrocities occurring to our young." Her voice choked up and her three clawed fingers rested gently at her throat. "They are being... _murdered,_ The Doctor."

"Just _Doctor_ is fine, thank you. And what do you mean _murdered?_ "

"Let us sit," said Vohoan. "If you must know, then there is much to say. It is not a pleasant conversation."

They sat on short cushions for the explanation and, after declining a beverage, the Cheeroks began to explain their predicament.

An unwarranted and unwanted discovery had been made by foreign alien species within the last few years. Cheerok eggshells were highly medicinal when ground into powder and added to substances, to the point of being miraculous, and eggshells not ground to dust were actually quite durable. They were quite beautiful as well, even Sutton had to admit, as they were bright and multicolored, and many alien species liked to purchase them as status-displaying décor.

_That idea seemed odd to Sutton, but then again, she was in the universe of the Doctor._

But there was a problem, Vohoan explained. Cheeroks did not reproduce as rapidly as other alien species. They tended to live longer lives than most, so did not need to. That meant that the supply of eggshells did not meet the new demand.

Sutton squirmed on her cushion at that ominous statement.

So eggs started to be stolen, and sold on the black market, with the young still inside.

"So many dead," Nihir cried softly. "Whether consumed or discarded, I'd rather not know. But our population and our people cannot take more of this."

"We have a few hidden places, like this one, for others to hide their eggs; if they're able to smuggle them out in time. But those who would take the eggs have more fire power than we can counter. There is apparent gain to be found in our young," Vohoan said hotly.

"Why would you trust us with this information," Sutton asked suddenly. The question hung thickly in the air a moment as everyone turned towards her. "I mean, you don't know us. And these, these are _your children_. How do you know we-we're not smugglers?"

"Didn't you hear what the Docta' said," Rose asked. "Tha's what their otha' eye is for."

Nihir pulled her lips back in a tight smile.

"We Cheeroks have the honor of being blessed with the Soul Eye. It allows us to see an impression of the soul of another being. We can tell that all of your intentions are well meaning towards us."

"Even... _mine?_ That-that doesn't make sense. I'm...from somewhere else. You shouldn't, really, be...able to. I don't think."

"Dear girl," Nihir smiled, "souls transcend time and space. They are a universal constant."

Sutton sat back on her cushion, but didn't attempt to argue. She pulled the jacket she'd borrowed from the Doctor's extensive closet more tightly around her shoulders.

The words from the story she'd been told just kept making circles in her mind. Smugglers were killing _unhatched children_ for profit! For just the shells of their eggs! Her stomach rolled as she saw Nihir glance back at the incubator with glassy eyes.

"I can already see their souls," she commented quietly. "They're beautiful."

"Well that'snot supposed to be happening." The Doctor stood up. "The Cheeroks are supposed to continue on for a few millennia yet! You're the ones responsible for the non-violent end to the Carpillian War!"

He paced back and forth in the small room a few times before stopping.

"Obviously I need to have a chat with these smugglers; can't have this continuing on."

"They will kill you if you try to intervene," Vohoan said. But there was something in his voice. A note, as if he hoped his warning wouldn't scare the Doctor away. Rose scoffed.

"Like we haven't encountered _that_ before."

Sutton's hand twitched in her lap and she stopped herself from raising it as if in school. She swallowed back the proclamation that _she_ didn't go around barely escaping death regularly. But her hooded gaze re-landed on the few eggs in the incubator and she straightened her posture.

_They were barely even children._

"I can help."

Sutton looked up from her lap to the Doctor with a new determination.

" 'course you will. Now, I'll just-"

"No. I mean, _I can help_." She gave the Doctor a more pointed stare. "I mean that I can take care of it right here. It would only-"

"Oh, no; absolutely not. "

The initial decision to try and use her ability to actually benefit the side of good had left a warm feeling beginning to blossom within her, but the Doctor's quick shutdown rapidly fizzled it out.

"Excuse me?"

"We can talk about it later."

Sutton flushed and ticked her jaw briefly while she tried to keep her voice calm.

"I can do it more easily," she said. "And more quickly. I know I don't have a lot of practice, but I really think I can-"

"Sutton." The Doctor's voice had come out slightly snappy and stern. "We'll discuss it later."

That made her fingers curl into fists.

_Did he think he was her mother? Not even her step-father had never even spoken to her like that._

Even Rose looked a bit awkward after the exchange and Sutton's face was warm enough to be a back up for the incubator, so she bit out a _'fine'_ instead of continuing to argue.

Whatever information the Doctor gleaned about the smugglers and such from the Cheeroks, Sutton didn't hear. She was too offended to be able to listen to the conversation. Really! She could actually be useful for once! For something good!

She stiffly followed the rest back down the tunnel to the secret entrance was helped back up through the opening in the ground. Nihir followed after them and Vohoan stayed behind to look after the eggs that were due to hatch any moment.

"If you are truly going after these smugglers, I want to join you," Nihir said. "It is my duty to help protect my people."

The Doctor spun on the ball of his foot to face her and agreed.

"Of course. We'll probably need your help at least once before this is all finished."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

A string of curses flooded the lab room; not for the first time. Tony and Reed were furiously at work on their computers as another wave of energy was read by their equipment.

"What do you mean _'_ interference _'_?"

Tony's eyes were bloodshot, but he continued to read the numbers scrolling across his screen. His reply was waspish and blunt.

"I mean that I got readings of her going one direction and then suddenly the energy diverts."

"That's impossible. There's no way she could feasibly control and redirect that large of a surge of energy. Her body shouldn't really be able to process those initial surges in the first place."

Tony paused a moment to mull over the statement, despite the fact that it was an already understood concept.

"The only way it could work is if… if there's another player in this game. And they have better tech than I do."

Reed stopped his work completely and gave Tony a flabbergasted stare.

"Are you telling me you think someone actually was able to pick up on her signal while she was in the middle of transcending dimensions, was able to actually lock on to her signal before the process was completed, and not only that, but was then able to redirect it?"

Tony nodded stiffly while continuing to stare angrily at his screen. Reed sat back in his seat and huffed.

"Well, that's not... good."

"Ya think?"

Tony shot jerkily from his seat and then stood frozen and silent. Reed grimaced.

"Hey, look, at least, um, at least we know this means she's still alive, right? Maybe Jane will find something while she's away."

"Jane hasn't even made contact in days. I doubt anything she finds will be useful. Not for something like this."

The door to the lab whooshed open and Pepper Potts entered the lab. She wore a concerned look that implied Jarvis might have been been meddling on behalf of human emotion's where a computer shouldn't have concerns.

"Tony? Hey, how's the resear-"

Reed sliced his hand through the air in front of his neck signaling her to stop that train of conversation.

"Or, actually, have you eaten today?"

Pepper rested a hand on Tony's shoulder and his face partially cracked. His head dropped until it was cradled in her neck and he breathed shakily.

Reed decided to slip out of the room.

Pulling him closer, Pepper ran her fingers gently through his hair and rubbed his back.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's going to be ok. But Tony, you're killing yourself. You need to take a break."

He took that moment to wrap his arms in a vice-like grip around her waist and just held her. Pepper closed her eyes tightly a moment while taking a pained breath.

"I'm failing, Pep."

His voice was too vulnerable, too broken. Pepper choked back the emotion that rose up her throat.

"You are not failing," she said. "You're doing everything and these things don't come easily. I know you want to help her, but you have to take a break every once in awhile. You're never going to figure this out if you're so tired you can't even see straight. I know Sutton wouldn't want you like this."

"I'm the reason she's here." There was a light snap to his voice again. "She came over because I told her it was her only choice. I'm the reason she's... wherever she's been taken to now!"

"What was her other choice? Prison? Come on, Tony, you did the right thing."

"Furthermore! We could all be needing a bit of her help in the near future, because that place? That place up there?" He had lifted himself up enough to be able to point to the ceiling, but Pepper understood that he meant space. "It is filled with things that would love to see us all destroyed. Things with better weapons, and better technology, and they will not hesitate to annihilate us! And what if they found out about her, huh? They-"

"Tony!" Pepper gripped the sides of his face and forced him to make eye contact with her. "I need you to listen very closely to me. You are not responsible for the protection of the entire earth, ok? I don't mind that you help out here and there, but that is not a burden for you to carry."

"It is if I can do something about it."

Pepper groaned.

"How about we just start with small steps? The first thing you can do if you really want to help is to take a shower. Believe me."

She slowly freed herself from his grip, but kept a hold of his hand. When Tony hesitated, she gave his hand a little tug and graced him with a small grin.

"Come one, let's go. It might not be as bad as you think."

That seemed to help bring back a little of his usual personality. He finally began to follow her as she trailed out of the room.

"Well, if you want to insist."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also started a blog mostly for me to collect all my own fanfic stuff in one place and not have real life people know about it. So there's that.  
> http://universalfanfic.tumblr.com/


	15. Aliens Just Don't Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aliens do stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, guys, sorry this took so long! (I know; I say that a lot.) My brain just really broke for a bit. Not sure what y'all thought about last chapter, but hopefully this one is ok! We get a couple different povs. :)
> 
> I also finally realized I hadn't opened my asks and submissions for the tumblr I made for this, so I fixed that too. If anyone wants to drop by and chat, discuss fanfics or movies or whatever, feel free. :)  
> ( universalfanfic.tumblr.com )

"So the Aether, is it? Remarkable."

Jane spun around in alarm and Loki could feel the power of the Aether pulse subtly under her skin in response. He took a step back with hands up in a supplicating gesture.

"I did not mean to startle you."

"Of course you didn't."

Jane eyed him with a glare and one hand balled into a fist at her side. She was no warrior like Sif, but she still had a fierceness in her eyes that was admiral for a mortal.

"Are you even supposed to be here?"

Loki grinned. He had found her on a palace balcony staring out over the waters of Asgard and to the stars above. She was standing with a scroll and pen and mapping out the stars in the sky when there was an entire library but a floor away. Perhaps she was also trying to see if she could catch sight of Thor, who had gone to join with the other warriors.

"Am I supposed to be near you, you mean?"

She frowned at that, her lips twisting down and eyes darting away momentarily. Fierce she may try to be, but she was no liar. Loki shrugged his shoulders while retaining his standard elegance and smirked.

"Most likely not," he admitted. "But Thor and Odin know me very little if they believe I'd like to take the Aether from you. Housing a parasite rarely goes well for the host. But you would understand that, being a woman of science, wouldn't you?"

Jane edged away from him and Loki only smirked as he observed it.

"If it's so awful, then why are you here in the first place?"

"Tell me, has Thor yet let you study the Tesseract?"

Jane's shoulders stiffened and she glared from hooded eyes.

"Not that it's any of your business, but...no. He said it was too dangerous."

Loki  _tsked_  as he shook his head, looking for all the world disappointed.

"Of course he would. He doesn't understand the power of the Tesseract, and so fears it."

Jane crossed her arms as her eyes darted away from Loki.

"I'm sure his explanation is perfectly reasonable."

"Or perhaps he believes you too weak, too breakable, to be near it." He paused there and the silence lingered before his eyes snapped to hers. " _Or_  perhaps he fears what you could do with the knowledge it gave you."

"Your lame efforts to tempt me won't work. I'm not an idiot."

Loki shifted his stance and smiled with closed lips.

"Of course not. I only assumed you had your heart set on helping Mr. Stark find his lost little pet."

Jane opened her mouth, lips curled down in what was sure to be a hostile response, but Loki cut her off.

"You do realize that you'll never be able to rescue her without studying the Tesseract, don't you? How far have you really come since you started?"

The response was anything but positive. Jane pursed her lips and clenched her jaw. In the least, it told Loki everything he needed to know about their research. If Sutton were to ever be returned, and she must be, he would have to nudge them in the right direction.

It would be risky, Loki acknowledged, to have two infinity stones so close to one another, but that would just be part of the fun. And besides, there was no telling how much time the Lady Jane would have to get the information necessary for her research. There was the threat of death from the Aether looming on one end, and if the Aether was successfully removed then she would be whisked back down to earth. No. There was no time like the present.

"Thor wouldn't let me," Jane finally said. "And besides, I don't have any of my equipment with me anyway."

Loki grinned in delight.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton's prophecy was quickly proven true, and all of Loki's planning made him quite forgiven and beloved by the people. Jane had only just arrived in Asgard and been found to hold the Aether within her body, and already the Dark Elves were upon them. But the palace was protected by a giant domed shield, and soldiers were at the ready at Asgard's borders.

If they had not been prepared for an attack, Thor shuddered to think what carnage Asgard might have seen. As it was, they still had a battle on their hands. But the element of surprise goes a long way, and it would be the elves' demise that they did not have it now.

Thor stood with his fellow warriors and waited to be the next line of defense if there were any elves to slip past the firing from the turrets.

"I do hope they aren't too disappointed that we spoiled their surprise."

Fandral brandished his sword with his usual flair and grinned at his friends. Sif frowned at his blithe attitude.

"You do realize that Asgard is being attacked for the first time in a millennia, don't you? And by an enemy which would gladly bring darkness to the entire universe."

"Well, naturally, that just makes it all the more fun!"

Hogan snorted out a puff of air from his nose.

"Now you sound like Loki."

Fandral drooped at the comment.

"Everyone is being so severe today. And unnecessarily harsh."

Thor had been watching the skies during the conversation and now spoke up.

"Prepare yourselves."

Ahead were a small cluster of elves that had evaded the initial onslaught. The group sobered and readied their stances as the enemy drew steadily closer. When the elves were in striking range, they threw themselves into the battle as they did with any other: with enthusiasm and full commitment. If anything, their fighting was even more brutal and tactical than it usually was. They always put their all into a fight, no doubt for every battle is life or death, but now they were fighting in their own front yard. There were Asgardian civilians not more than a short horse ride away from the chaos, and that added a level of severity to the situation.

Thor jumped high and struck hard, bringing his hammer down with such force that it felled ten elves alone. Sif was not far behind, and she struck two elves with a harsh slash of her sword as they attempted to attack while Thor rose to his feet. They nodded to one another, dual smiles tugging at the corners of their lips, before jumping back into the fight.

But the elves weren't to be underestimated for their weaponry was impressive. After almost five thousand years, it was easy to forget what sort of weapons they wielded, but Loki's research had paid off. They were a bit more prepared for the long distance guns, though preparedness only went so far.

"Don't let them throw their grenades!"

Thor was once again a flurry of motion. One of the dark elves had lobbed a grenade as he spoke, and Thor met it in the air before it could detonate. With a forceful swing, he used Mjolnir to bat it back towards them. It went off right in front of a group of five elves and they were instantly sucked into the miniature black hole with a sickening crunch. Volstagg cringed at the scene even as he kicked an elf in the chest.

"Ay; it doesn't seem too pleasant!"

It didn't take long before the Dark Elves realized that they had never had the element of surprise. And although their laser rifles and black hole grenades were devastating when they hit their mark, the Asgardians were still managing to push them back. An order must have been relayed to them, for all at once the Dark Elves stopped and made to retreat.

Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three, along with the rest of Asgard's army, chased them back until the last of the ships had left Asgard's borders. Fandral sighed as he watched the ships disappear into the stars.

"I have the unfortunate feeling that they're not gone for good."

"No," Thor agreed. "As long as we hold the Aether, they will return."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton was still sulking from being reprimanded by the Doctor as she trailed behind the others. Of course, finding black market thieves who were causing genocide was much more important than a slight rebuff, but she found it was easy to forget that when the danger hadn't met them yet.

She shook herself out, rolling her shoulders, as she expelled a breath and refocused on the mission. The idea to just imagine the situation fixed despite the Doctor's protest did cross her mind, but she was nervous to what his reaction might be if she did. He'd already seemed pretty frustrated when she'd just suggested it. Despite his general friendliness, she'd seen the show and knew how dark he could get if pushed to it. She'd rather not be the one to do the pushing.

Nihir led them to a house where the latest theft had occurred. Although 'theft' felt like an inappropriate term for what was happening. The Doctor went right to work examining the scene, sniffing random objects and pointing his sonic screwdriver at the incubator which was located off in a side room.

Sutton waited outside the incubator room with Rose, given that the room itself wasn't immensely large. Her mind was still racing as she absently watched the Doctor work. One thought out of the masses suddenly struck her. The Doctor hadn't wanted her to solve the entire problem, true, but maybe she could help move things along a little?

If she believed the problem away, there was the probability that the Doctor would find out. She still wasn't quite sure how her deliberately changing worlds would affect the people in them or their memories, and the Doctor was an even bigger risk just because of who he was: an alien who knew far too much.

But, if she just did little things, like make it easy to find the criminals, for instance? That might be easier to pass off.

The Doctor was still darting around the incubator with his sonic screwdriver and Sutton cut her eyes to make sure he wasn't paying attention.

_There was no way someone could steal those eggs and not leave DNA evidence behind. There had to be some alien identifier that would narrow down the main suspects._

Sutton was actually quite sure of that, when she really thought about it, because there was usually always some plot device to move the action along in a show. A feeling rippled through her, quite like a chill, but it left her feeling almost a bit fatigued.

"Aha!"

The Doctor straightened with a triumphant grin and Rose tried to lean over and see what had excited him.

"What is it?"

"Residual traces of calcium!"

He held up his sonic screwdriver as if they all knew how to glean answers from it like he did.

"There's only one species I know of that would have enough of that to leave some behind, and one family comes to mind that deals exclusively in black market trade. I'd say we have our perpetrators."

Sutton felt her insides warm pleasantly.

_Finally, doing something right!_

"Which aliens are these then," Rose asked. She had an introspective look on her face, as if something had struck her as familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

"You've met them," said the Doctor. "I believe we stopped them from nuking London."

Rose held up a finger, eyes going wide.

"The Slitheen," she cried in dismay. "I though' we got rid of them!"  
"Well, a few. Raxacoricofallapatorians do have large families, Rose."

Nihir looked horrified and Sutton face-palmed at the development.

_The giant, hideous, green slugs with legs? The ones that farted while wearing "human suits". Beings that encompassed the meanings of disturbing and disgusting?_

"Ugh. Those guys?"  
Although she felt inclined to whine, Sutton admitted it made at least a small bit of sense. From what she remembered, the Slitheen were a criminal family that was always looking for a way to make quick profits.

They all followed the Doctor as he dashed out of the room and back out into the city. Sutton cursed his long legs as she struggled to keep up.

"They would not dare look like themselves," Nihir pointed out. She was so much taller that she probably felt as if they were on a mild stroll. "Otherwise their identities would be easily discovered." She rung her scaly hands together as her eyes darted across the crowd of people. "They must have separated souls from their bodies in order to remain unseen!"

The mere idea seemed to send Nihir into a state, her dark green scales paled to almost a mint color and she began chanting a quiet, urgent prayer. Rose ducked her head down slightly and put a hand on Nihir's arm.

"We're going to stop them, you'll see."

Sutton was very confident that they would, because she would make sure of it. The success of pushing along their investigative work and getting away with it made her a bit giddy and ready to do it again. Really, the Doctor was being unreasonable with what probably amounted to him being paranoid about paradoxes and moral high grounds. He really had no basis on which to call her out, though. There was no one more meddling in affairs that he was supposed to be just observing than the Doctor!

"Doctor, where are we going, anyway?"

Sutton was already panting, but she found a small smile tugging at her mouth despite it.

_She'd just sounded like a companion! How cool was that? She now only had to ignore the fact that they were chasing after aliens that killed a host and wore their skin as a disguise._

"Back to the TARDIS! There's a few things we need if we're going to be hunting after the Slitheen. No use going 'round unprepared and empty handed!"

The Doctor was historically anti-gun and Sutton couldn't remember what sort of weakness the Slitheen had, so she followed along without a clue to what they were fetching.

It was probably at least noon by the time they'd gotten to this point. The sky hadn't brightened much, but Sutton could feel those first tingles of hunger start to rumble and shot a fretful look to Rose.

_Did the Doctor ever stop to eat? Did Rose ever get hungry?_

Surely they must! No one had ever starved while traveling with Time Lords; right?

The TARDIS proved to be a welcoming beacon. It stood out dark and solid compared to the pastels of the world around it. The Doctor unlocked the door with his key and they all rushed inside, one after the other. Sutton and Rose watched as Nihir stared about the room in wonder.

"It is a world within a box," she breathed. "Such a large soul in a small body."

Rose gave Sutton a sideways look and an amused smile.

"Well, I've never 'eard it put that way before."

"There's a first time for everything."

The Doctor hadn't stopped moving upon entering the TARDIS and had disappeared out of the main console room into the rooms beyond.

Sutton felt you could get lost in the TARDIS and never find your way back out. She'd only followed Rose back to the "closet room" and out again once she'd changed, and that had been a trip. How the Doctor kept track of the rooms, she'd never know.

When he did come back he was carrying with him several bottles with 'vinegar' on the labels.

"Since they're living calcium, they can't stand anything acidic," he explained. "It's a last resort, of course, but they haven't exactly been open to reform as of yet."

Seeing as how she was essentially in an episode of Doctor Who, Sutton didn't think it'd be that easy to get them to see the error of their ways.

To her immense joy Rose offered to grab everyone a 'quick bite' and Nihir followed after Rose had declared that she had no idea what was within the Cheerok diet restrictions.

Sutton was intrigued, marginally, by the idea of what a kitchen in the TARDIS might be like, but she was being handed an opportunity to chat with the Doctor alone so she took it.

He was still flitting about. His hair was ruffled and wild and there was a determined gleam in his eyes that Sutton recognized from the show. It was different, somehow, in person. Still, she took a breath and a bold step towards him.

"Doctor, look, I get that maybe you didn't want me talking about my… ability stuff in front of the other aliens. I was trying to be vague. But the authorities on Raxacorica- you know, I can imagine that they got a lea-"

"Stop right there! Nope! No imagining anything!"

He'd stopped moving now and Sutton found herself with his undivided attention. She forced herself not to squirm, but a frown twisted across her face.

"I don't get it. Why not? I can stop babies from dying right now."  
The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair only making it stand up further on end.

"You haven't used this ability of yours much, have you? You don't really understand how it works."

Sutton shrugged sheepishly and shook her head.

"Not really. I mean, I might've a few times; on accident."

He nodded, not surprised, and broke eye-contact while shoving his hands in his pockets. Sutton felt a bit uneasy.

"Sutton, you 're never meant to be in any of these worlds. You have the potential to absolutely destroy these dimensions. And, every time you do interfere, you are weakening dimensional walls."

Sutton blinked as the words ricocheted off her brain.

"I'm sorry; dimensional walls?"

"Ok," said the Doctor, "think of it like this: every universe is its own bubble. Your original world is a bubble, Harry Potter is another separate bubble. Even if there are multiple dimensions in a universe, they are all bubbles contained by one larger bubble. Now, these bubbles all press up against each other, but they don't really connect or bleed into another. And that's where you come in. You, love, are tearing holes in the sides of these bubbles every time you hop universes. Every time you affect something, it has a consequence. That's why I think the TARDIS could sense you. Because even if you weren't in this universe yet, you're weakening the walls of the universes next to it."

The information struck Sutton deep in her core. Her concept of whatever sort of dimensional traveling she'd been doing had been simplistic at best. She was one place, her body wigged out, and then it just  _poofed_  somewhere else. The idea that there were actual repercussions from that was almost incomprehensible.

"Are you saying that I've been actually doing damage all this time? But-but I was trying..."

"It's not your fault, of course. It's not like you can control it. But that's why I can't let you imagine anything differently. Each time you do it will wear on already weak points between worlds."

Sutton's mouth fell open, but Rose and Nihir were back with food and she remained silent. She fell back onto an available seat and accepted the simple sandwich with a nod. Whatever the sandwich tasted like, Sutton didn't particularly notice. She chewed mechanically and mulled over the Doctor's words in a disconnected worry.

_Her? Doing damage without even trying? Just by being there?_

It didn't feel real.

This was the sort of reason why she'd wanted him to focus on getting her home in the first place. Not that seeing an alien world wasn't fun, but something usually always went wrong. Or, at least, nothing ever went right. There were always distractions. And now they had to stop the Slitheen, which she very much supported, and it put this world at risk for longer.

Sutton tore another piece of her sandwich off with her teeth and chewed it aggressively.

Rose saddled up next to the Doctor and Nihir stood a bit behind as he worked on various screens.

"So," Rose said, "how do we find them now?"

"We don't." The Doctor grinned dramatically. "They're going to find us."

Sutton watched the scene with a lingering bit of numbness.

_Well, that was a commercial break if she ever saw one._

Nihir tilted her head to the side and blinked all three of her eyelids.

"I don't understand. Why will the criminals search for us?"

Sutton thought she might have some sort of idea of where the Doctor was going with this plan.

"Because, we're going to have the things they're looking for. Or, at least they're going to think we do."

Sutton made a 'check' motion in the air with a finger and gave herself a high-five.

The plan was an amazingly simple one, and something that Sutton had seen many times before. Nihir would use her underground connections to spread rumor about a cache of Cheerok eggs that would "leak" to the Slitheen. Obviously they wouldn't be able to resist such a jackpot and then  _blam!_  They'd really step into a trap and afterwards everyone would go out for tea and biscuits to celebrate.

For obvious reasons Sutton was still not convinced on the plan's success. But, she tried to beat back any negative, doubtful thoughts and remain opinion-less.

_But still, in every plot ever-_

_Nope!_

Her body felt heavy with the reminder that her mere presence was harmful to this world. No matter how careful she was, she still hurt these places.

The Doctor needed to get her back to Marvel earth and Tony. She needed to figure out how to stay in one place and not change entire timelines with one careless thought.

After some brief instructions, Nihir slid out of the TARDIS and back out to the streets to put the plan into motion. Sutton remained on the seat she'd claimed and remained out of the way. Instead of trying to help with the details of the plan, she stared at her fingers as she twisted them and rubbed at her nails. She only looked up when she felt the seat sink further and saw Rose duck her head to catch her eyes.

"Are you ok? You seem different since lunch."

Sutton tried to sit up straighter and lean back casually.

"Me? Oh, yeah, totally. I'm just thinking. But not about this stuff, so don't worry!"

Rose furrowed her brow in what seemed dangerously close to sympathy. She nudged Sutton with her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow.

"You sure? 'Cause you look kinda... sad."

"Oh, no, I'm just trying to not destroy alternate universes and the like!" She sighed. "It'd be nice just to be back in my apartment and not have to worry about it, you know? I'd thought, if I could never go home again, at least there was some sort of new stability, but that sort of went down the drain."

Rose made a sort of clicking noise with her tongue and nodded as if she understood where Sutton was coming from. Sutton doubted she could fully understand it. She barely understood it herself and she was living it!

'Tha's tough."

"Yeah. It is. I mean, I try to keep telling myself that I get to see all these places and I should be grateful, but-"

"Are you kidding?"  
Sutton flinched back and blinked at Roses's incredulous tone. The blonde was staring at her now as if she might, indeed, be mad.

"You don't have to be grateful or feel lucky for any of this," she told Sutton. "You didn't ask to be teleported away and pu' in danger all the time. You don't have ta feel lucky to meet anyone. Me? I wanted to travel wi' the Docta'. I knew what could happen. But you didn't get a choice. If anyone eva' tells you that you should be grateful, you jus' punch 'em in the face."

Sutton let out a surprised laugh and her shoulders slackened slightly. Her fingers moved to her hair and she tugged at a curl with jerky movements.

"Well, when you put it that way..."

The Doctor interrupted then, explaining the plan once more and saying all they had to do now was wait until the rumor spread to who it needed to reach. Sutton perked up a bit at the mention of a lull in their actions.

"Since there's going to be some waiting involved, do you think you can look into sending me back to Marvel earth? I mean, no pressure or anything, but I've missed a few months of work now. My boss might've started to notice."

The Doctor opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again while putting his hands in his pockets. He seemed to do that a lot.

"Well now," he said quietly. "That's another problem in itself, isn't it?"

Sutton didn't like his tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd really love to get feedback, whatever it is, from you guys! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think!  
> Thanks so much for reading!


	16. Eggs-traterrestrial Eggs-asperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group runs into some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, guys. It has been so much longer than I planned. I participated in Nanowrimo and it devoured my soul. But I'm free now! And now that I know I can write 1,000 words a day, maybe my updates will be more frequent. *crosses fingers*

Sutton frowned, squinted suspiciously at the Doctor and felt her stomach fall stories as she tried to interpret his expression. The words she spoke fumbled from her lips.

"Well, dimensional travel is always a problem, I guess. But Tony and Bruce figured it out and you're practically the expert on space and alternate universes and timelines. I mean, it shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"

The laugh she forced out was nervous in nature and she looked to Rose as if to gain her agreement. The Doctor's expression did not lighten. Sutton had seen that solemn face before. She especially hated it now.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy," he said slowly.

"It has to be. I need to… I need to go home."

The conversation was only made worse by how still the Doctor was. Generally he was constantly moving, pacing, gesturing. But right now, now he was frozen and it only made Sutton feel more ill.

"If it was just a simple particle transfer that would be different, but there are other variables at play here. Like your instability, for one."

"Excuse me?"

Rose hopped up from her seat and held out her hands to pause both Sutton and the Doctor.

"How 'bout we pick this up another time, yeah? After all's finished here?"

The Doctor raised both eyebrows and looked to Sutton as if the decision lied with her, and Sutton bit down on her tongue briefly in response.

"Right," she finally agreed, "of course."

She reprimanded herself for the selfish part of her that wanted to say _'no',_ that they should make time because she wanted answers. But that wasn't what heroes did. Heroes sacrificed what they wanted for the good of others, right? The last thing she wanted was to have gotten back to the Avengers crew and be forced to say:

_You know what really helped get me back? Me, throwing a fit in the face of greater good._

Yeah. Really super.

There was a certain disjointedness present though as Sutton tried to shake off the conversation. Her efforts were partially in vain, as she couldn't ignore the uneasiness that told her she wouldn't like whatever the Doctor had to say.

Universe traveling, she decided, was getting a bit old and not everything it was cracked up to be.

_Curse fanfiction and it's unrealistic expectations._

They left the safety of the TARDIS a bit later with the Doctor carrying an armful of bottles of vinegar. The dark sky was once again disorienting and it felt more ominous than foreign after Sutton's chat with the Doctor. She and Rose followed as he led them to the location Nihir had sent to him through some communication device in the TARDIS. It was a larger hidden base and where they were going to pretend the cache of eggs was located.

It was another underground space and even less well lit than the one they'd visited before. The walls and the floor smelt of damp earth and old stone. Perhaps because there were trying to draw the Slitheen in, this room was larger than the last. Or, at least, the ceilings were higher. If the Slitheen chose to shed their disguise, they'd probably be brushing even with the room's ceiling. If Sutton remembered correctly, they were quite tall.

The basic _Scooby-Doo_ type plan they had going and the Doctor's words on her situation had her stomach still flipping and her legs weak with adrenaline.

_What had he been building up to before Rose interrupted him? Did she want to know?_

Sutton ran both hands through her frayed curls and tugged when she met knots. The pressure felt good and she sighed lightly as she refocused on the room and its occupants. When her eyes found the center of the room they landed on the incubator and her insides froze solid.

"Those aren't real, are they?"

Inside the incubator sat twelve eggs. Each one shone and shimmered in various colors. Where they should have conveyed beauty, they now only created a sickly tension.

"What's this?" The Doctor's voice was higher than normal and a bit snappish. He put the bottles away in a corner and hurried over to study the contents of the incubator. Nihir stood meekly to the side of the incubator and rang her clawed fingers while refusing to open her third eye.

"To lie is to tarnish one's soul," she said. "I could not say we had eggs if we had none. Forgive me, but there was no other way!"

"Not even for the greater good? Now you've endangered twelve lives!"

The Doctor began pacing once more and mussed his hair as he walked. Sutton knew better than to ask him to let her fix this just this once, so she was reduced to standing next to Nihir uselessly. And to top it off, standing next to Nihir made her feel like an ant. Rose moved forwards towards the incubator, placing a hand on the glass casing and examining the eggs inside.

"Well, we can move 'em, can't we? That way Nihir isn't the one lying."

The Doctor shook his head negatively.

"It's too late now. They're already on their way with a bounty this big."

Sutton groaned in exasperation and pulled at a few curls.

"Is there no such thing as intergalactic police, or something? Why is nothing ever easy with you people?"

"They've tried intergalactic police," the Doctor said with a wave of his hand. "It didn't go well, as you can imagine. Or rather, it won't go- hey!"

He pointed a finger at her warningly and Sutton threw her hands down at her sides in fists.

"I didn't do anything! Sheesh!"

There was suddenly a loud _crack_ and a new, faint light could be seen filtering in from down the hall.

"They have found us," Nihir said. There was a wobble in her voice and she covered her third eye with her hand and began muttering more prayers.

Sutton felt another spike of adrenaline rush through her limbs and her jaw tightened in reflex. Her left leg twitched as if it were ready to run with or without her. She had to think! Because no one else was moving, the Doctor probably wanted to try and talk sense to evil, dangerous smugglers, and she wasn't allowed to use the one advantage she had without repercussions.

_What would Natasha do?_

As the sound of footsteps neared the room, Sutton skittered towards the door and pressed herself against the wall near the opening. Rose had moved to stand adjacent with the Doctor and gave Sutton a look that implied she thought Sutton was soft in the head while silently mouthing,

_'what are you doin'?'_

The footsteps were heavy and bold. Whatever the creature, it stood taller than Sutton and weighed at least twice as much. Sutton swallowed nervously then took another glance at the eggs and her eyes darkened.

A large, green, clawed, foot made its appearance past the door's threshold. Sutton took the opportunity. Swiftly, she lifted her right leg and brought it crashing down on the back of the creature's knee with all her might and a loud, ' _heeyahhh!'_

The alien shrieked, most likely more in indignant shock, and stumbled its next few steps. Luckily her effort was enough of a distraction to slow the creature and give the others time to react. She could hear the Doctor's voice through the shock she was experiencing over her own actions.

"Vinegar! Get the vinegar! Wait, no! Not yet!"  
A splash of vinegar hit the alien and Rose stood with the bottle, biting her lip in a sheepish grimace as the Doctor stared exasperated at her. The alien, who looked like a Cheerok, laughed as the liquid ran down its face.

"Fools," it said. "Acid does nothing to this skin!"

Sutton thought that the alien might be showing its hand a little too early. But, then again, it probably wasn't any of her business.

The practically confirmed Raxicor-whatever, Sutton was just going to think of it as _Raxi_ , was balanced on its borrowed legs again and Sutton was out of clever defense moves.

"That was sort of my only idea," she said from behind the hostile alien. "Your turn!"  
"Yeah, well, the vinegar was mine."

Rose shot the Doctor a look and picked up a second bottle of vinegar pointedly. The Raxi suddenly caught sight of the incubator and its eyes went wide in obvious greed. Sutton panicked and reacted on impulse when she saw its attention focus on the eggs inside. She stomped on the creature's borrowed tail and hoped it still had pain receptors somehow functioning in it. The creature screeched again unpleasantly and turned on her with bared teeth. Sutton gulped and dodged as the alien took a swipe at her. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the Raxi.

"Hey! None of that! Now I'm going to assume you're some part of the Slitheen family, eh? Your planet has got quite the bounty out for you lot. Why don't you just bow out while you're ahead and leave this planet before everything catches up with you."

The thing bared its teeth in a false smile at the Doctor's non-threat.

"Or, we can just get rid of you!"  
More false Cheeroks burst into the room, and Sutton felt her skin grow cold as they found themselves surrounded by four seven foot tall aliens who had no qualms with murder.

" 's all right," the Doctor consoled, "we've been in worse situations."

Rose glared at him.

"You say that every time!"

Sutton didn't see how this could end well. They were in a cramped, underground space and overpowered through sheer muscle. And she knew that the creatures would do whatever it took to not be brought to justice for their crimes. She remembered how that one had tried to shoot a poison dart at the Doctor; her reflexes weren't nearly as good as his were!

Nihir was behind her and although Sutton didn't understand her words, she understood the sentiment behind them. Although the Slitheen weren't quite as terrifying as Cybermen or Weeping Angels, at the moment they were every bit just as life threatening. The Doctor looked stern as he stood with his screwdriver out, and was obviously looking for a way out of the situation, but Sutton's heart was beating fast and she needed those monsters away from her. He needed to get those zippers open so that they could douse them with vinegar and get out of here. Sutton could feel the muscles in her shoulders tightening to an absurd degree as she waited for the Doctor to save them.

"Use your screwdriver to open their zippers," she said. "Hurry up!"  
The Doctor glanced at her with a confused expression and frowned.

"They're 'zippers' function using a-"

"Ugh!"  
The Slitheen family members were moving in for the kill. Sutton glanced around the room again and as she saw the incubator an idea struck her. The glass dome had to be held down by some means, Rose had touched it and it hadn't shifted. There were no claps around the base, so it had to be a magnetic rim. If it had to be strong, maybe it was an electric magnet that could be used. Sutton spotted a box protruding at the rim of the incubator that she hadn't noticed before and reached for it. With two violent pulls she broke it off of the base and whipped it around to the Slitheen closing in. She saw their foreheads tremble and threw her hand with the box out to the side. A brilliant bright light erupted from their foreheads and the Slitheen stopped, groping at their foreheads while crying out in shock.

"Aim for their foreheads!"  
Rose moved into action again and sprayed vinegar high and in their direction. Sutton could tell that at least two hit their mark by the shrieking and convulsing that occurred with the two nearest Rose. The two further away rushed forward and Sutton and Nihir dove out of the way. Without the magnet holding it down, the glass dome was easily knocked off and to the side, only cracking slightly due to its thickness, and the Slitheen grabbed an egg apiece before running for the exit. The Doctor was hot on their heels.

"No you don't!"

Sutton stumbled a bit when she attempted to move forward, and frowned while flexing her legs. Rose and Nihir rushed to the incubator.

"Hurry; le 's get the lid back on!"

The two lifted the glass lid and sat it back in its place, and Sutton sheepishly sat the magnetic piece she'd ripped off back in its original position. It wobbled, almost falling out, and Sutton nudged it back nervously when the other two weren't looking. The Doctor came running back in looking frazzled, and Sutton still felt the urgency of the situation. Two eggs had been taken, and even that was unacceptable.

"I told you not to use your ability."

Sutton stammered and then glared in frustration.

"What are you talking about? I didn't! I just used my head! I thought-thought...Oh. Crap."

"Right."

Sutton pulled down the corners of her lips and revealed her teeth in an awkward "oops" face. She chanced glances at Rose and Nihir, and snapped out of her guilty stupor when she saw Nihir's horrified expression.

"But I think we really need to focus on getting those eggs back, like, right now. The Slitheen need to be stopped, remember?"  
Rose stepped over to the Doctor and put a hand on his arm.

"She's right. We hav' ta get those eggs back."

Nihir collapsed onto the ground in hysterics, tears pouring from all three eyes, and Sutton rushed over to try and console her. She reached up to pat Nihir on the shoulder and cooed gently.

"Hey, hey, it's ok! We'll get them back! But we have to leave now, so you can't just cry."

She helped Nihir up to her feet, or at least went through the motions of it, and gave her scaly hand an encouraging squeeze. When Nihir had sufficiently wiped most of the tears from her eyes they all took down the hall towards the exit, the Doctor leading the way. The secret hatch opening up to the world above had been left out of place and Sutton could see the stone laying hazardously off the the side. Nihir helped them climb up out and followed after them easily; there was almost no pause after that. They were off running and Sutton was pushing herself to keep up with the group as she panted and wondered how they were even going to find the Slitheen in the first place.

The streets were fairly empty of most pedestrians; Sutton assumed it was late now? The dark sky was starting to become depressing, but it didn't matter much with what was going on.

"How are we going to find them," she asked between breaths. "They could be anywhere."

"They're going to want to leave the planet quickly now that they know we're onto them. Where's the closest transport station?"

Nihir pointed off to the right, Sutton had no idea what direction on a compass it was.

"There is a seventy-two hour station three _kelnis_ away."

They all began making their way in that direction and Sutton shot a look up to Nihir as she struggled to keep pace.

"Is a, uh, _kelnis_ a walkable distance away?"

"It is very close."  
Sutton nodded and continued on. The glassy buildings around them reflected their own running forms and a rainbow of minimal light. A few street corners later and Sutton saw building larger than the others emerge across the street. It had a large platform at the entrance and she could see a few shapes that looked like they could be space ships peeking over the roof of the building.

It was mostly abandoned, lending more weight to the 'it's late' theory Sutton had going on. They raced up the steps and were only just through the doors when Rose pointed towards the back of the building.

"Look! There they are!"

They were easy to spot with the large eggs in their grasps and were waiting by a arch with symbols above it that were constantly changing. Sutton blinked and the TARDIS translator kicked in changing the odd symbols to earth numbers. If the ticking down was any hint, the transport was going to be leaving soon.

"Don't your people have any police force," Sutton asked. "Isn't there a number to call, or can't we tell the employees here to not let them on?"

"I do not understand," Nihir said. "What are this _police?_ We do not have this word."

"Right, of course," Sutton said. "That would be ridiculous, what was I thinking? Is everyone here really that nice?"

The Slitheen were still in their disguises, as disgusting as that was, but Sutton wasn't sure how they could have gotten tickets when the Cheeroks could see the intent of one's soul. Surely they should have noticed something not quite right. A searching look over to what appeared to be a ticket booth answered her question fairly well. There were two tellers at the desk, but they were both keeping their third eye shut. Sutton wondered why, if maybe it had something to do with not just Cheerok people using the transportation service. It would make some sense. You never knew what other species would come through and the state of their "souls" would probably vary widely.

"Alright, we have two minutes to stop them," the Doctor said. Sutton realized with a panicked looked at their group that no one had thought to bring even one bottle of vinegar. "This is what we're going to do," he continued. "Nihir, you are going to stay back here and block this exit, do you think you can do that?"

She nodded nervously and shuffled back to be more near the doors. Sutton noticed that the tellers were blinking at them in confusion; one looked to Nihir and opened their third eye. They seemed surprised by whatever they saw and got up to approach her. Sutton refocused on the Doctor and his plan.

"I'm going to get the TARDIS, you and Sutton will distract the two and when I get back here-"

But he didn't get to finish because at that moment one of the Slitheen turned and finally noticed them. Its face went from shocked to enraged in a split second and its companion quickly joined it in flashing teeth at them.

"You don't know when to admit defeat," one called across the lobby. "If you try to stop us, we will kill you."

"Not happening," the Doctor said. Sutton saw him subtly press a button on his sonic screwdriver as he spoke to them, moving slowly forwards. "And there's no way you're leaving with those eggs. No more innocent Cheeroks are going to die for your greed."

He threw up his hand when he was near enough to them and the light at the end of the screwdriver lit up blue. A second later the door that would lead to the transport made a loud groaning noise and something along the seal spat out hot, bright sparks. Finding that the Doctor had sealed their exit shut did not please the two criminally inclined aliens. One of them handed off their egg to the other and postured up as if it were gearing for a fight. It aimed a finger at the Doctor and he did what Sutton saw as a Matrix style move as he dodged the projectile that was shot at him.

"Alright," he said, "so you're a female then. That's something."

Sutton glanced around the room again trying to see if there was anything that could be of use in subduing large, physically stronger, aliens with no moral consciousness. It was a pretty open space, with a few rows of seating and the ticket booth tucked into the front corner. There wasn't much available to use in the way of improvised weaponry.

The Slitheen was only getting closer and Sutton was beginning to cringe and squint when a shadow rushed passed her. And then another and another! Sutton threw open her eyes in time to see the two ticket-teller Cheerok workers and Nihir dashing into action. She could hardly believe what she was seeing as two of them jumped onto the nearest Slitheen while the other headed for the one cradling both eggs. Rose and the Doctor were in similar positions of shock as a new side of the Cheeroks disposition made itself known. Where before they had reflected only peace, there was a new fierceness; Sutton would almost call it savagery, in their determination.

They laid into the two cruel imposters with all that they had. The Slitheen fighting two against one seemed to be at a great disadvantage. It screeched in pain and anger as it was battered around and torn into. The lizard-like claws on their hands were not kind to any sort of skin when used with force and Sutton forced her eyes away before it got too graphic.

The other Slitheen wasn't fairing much better. It couldn't allow damage to come to the eggs, but it wouldn't be able to keep the eggs if it was not able to fend off its attacker. Sutton caught the motion of the eggs wobbling in its hold as it tried to evade the clutches of the Cheerok chasing it. Sutton pointed with a panicked shout and she saw Rose snap her head in the direction she had pointed. They both took off at once towards the eggs in preparation of catching them should they be dropped. Sutton thought she heard the Doctor say something, but she was too focused on her self-appointed task to process what it was or if was even important.

The Cheerok chasing after the eggs had the Slitheen finally cornered, and Sutton noticed in horror that it was tightening its hold on the shells.

"Come any closer and I crush them!"

The Cherrok stopped, its face looking stricken and unsure as the imposter smiled maliciously back. Sutton and Rose shifted uneasily on their feet a bit behind the Cheerok. Sutton made eye contact with Rose and tensed as Rose nodded her head as if in signal. She darted forward after nodding so Sutton shot off the balls of her feet to join her in running towards the imminent danger. Being that they were much shorter than the alien creatures and since the Slitheen's focus was on the Cheerok, it didn't seem to notice them until they were right up on it.

"Get back!"  
But both of them had arms wrapped around eggs and the Cheerok behind them lunged at the opening provided. It tried to keep hold of the eggs, but the Cheerok had a grip on its head and was pulling steadily backwards. It had no choice but to release the eggs to try and release the pressure on its neck before it went too far. Once they had full possession of the eggs, Rose and Sutton ran back to the other side of the terminal, both panting under the weight of the creatures under the shells.

"Come on! This way!"  
The Doctor was waving them over, looking jumpy and excited, and both girls ran over to him without protest.

"We have to get those eggs back in the incubator. They won't last much longer without it!"

Sutton tried to eye the continuing fight over the egg.

"But what about them?"

"They're holding their own; I daresay they have them subdued. Now come on!"

They all ran out of the transport station, back down the steps and out into the streets. Sutton thought that the egg must have grown heavier the longer she held it. Her muscles were screaming by the time they reached the hole that lead back into the secret bunker that held the incubator. The Doctor jumped down first and then called for Rose to drop her egg down to him. She bit her lip briefly, eyed the egg and the drop, and then trusted him.

"Got it! Let's move, then!"  
Rose lowered herself down over the edge of the opening and Sutton knew she had landed when she heard an " _oof"_.

She stepped up to the opening next and held the egg with trembling arms.

"Are you ready for it?"

"Go ahead!"

"Ok. I'm, like, right by the edge and I'm just going to let go and drop it from here, so you need to be-"

"Sutton we can see you; drop the egg!"  
She sighed nervously and drummed her fingers over the egg's shell, took a breath, and then let go.

"Oi, these things are heavy."

"Come on, Sutton," Rose called up. "I'll try and help catch ya if I can!"  
Sutton lowered herself as far as she could and then let go yet again.

When they set the eggs back in the incubator, Sutton felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. She shared a triumphant smile with Rose and the Doctor as they stopped to catch their breath. They waited in the bunker until there was a soft scraping and padding sound, and Nihir ducked into the room. When she saw the eggs back safe and sound, Nihir's eyes began watering again. She moved her hands around in a particular motion and Sutton was only able to catch the word "bless".

"What of the Slitheen," the Doctor asked.

Nihir bowed her head and closed her third eye solemnly.

"We were able to prevent their escape. For the darkness in their souls, they have been taken to The Cleansing. We can only hope that they are able to find peace."

Sutton was not exactly certain what "The Cleansing" was, but she made the conscious decision not to ask about it. Rose smiled and patted Nihir on the forearm.

"You and the others did well. You saved those eggs."  
"We decided that to enact force on the behalf of love would not tarnish one's soul. Still, I will pray for cleansing of the violence we were forced to commit."

Sutton was about to tell her not to worry and that she was pretty awesome kicking Slitheen butt, and then thought that perhaps Nihir might not take it as a compliment. Instead she gestured to the full incubator.

"Everyone is safe and sound; I'd call that a success! Go us!"

She high-fived Rose and then stared at her own hand in awe a moment before returning to reality.

"My people truly thank you," Nihir said. "I offer _shallis_ to you any time you have need."

Rose and Sutton looked to the Doctor for explanation.

"It's like hospitality, but of the highest order. A great honor, really."

They ended up accepting the offer for that evening because to never allow her to pay respects was apparently awfully rude. Sutton was thrilled because now that all the running was over with, she was exhausted and aware enough to feel it sinking in.

Nihir's home was small and warm and decorated in the same washed out pastels that this planet seemed to favor. They ate what she offered, and Sutton didn't find it any worse than the Tatooine food. It was at least an obviously vegetarian dish, and Sutton could handle alien plants much more readily than alien meats.

When Nihir rolled out padded mats for them to sleep on, beaming as she did so, Sutton fell onto one with a _thump_ and sighed in contentment as her face sank into the soft cushioning.

When Sutton woke, the window to her left let in only darkness and her groggy mind joyously proclaimed that she still had time to sleep. But then the sounds of clinking glass and ceramics and soft conversation caught her ear and she pushed herself upright on her mat.

"Oh, right, no sun."

She wobbled to her feet and shuffled in the direction the noises were coming from while yawning widely.

Rose and the Doctor sat at a low table and were sipping at what smelled similar to the tea-like drink Sutton had ordered the previous day.

"Ah, you are awake." Nihir's cheery voice spoke up behind her and Sutton swiveled slightly to look back. Nihir was holding a silver tray with a small teapot on it, some cups, and what might have been bread. Sutton sat with the others when Nihir prompted her and she accepted a cup of the drink herself.

"You sleep quite soundly," the Doctor quipped. "We were trying not to wake you at first, but it seems we didn't have too much to worry about."

Rose smiled behind her cup of tea.

"Nihir dropped tha' metal tray and you didn't flinch."

Sutton paused in the middle of inhaling the sweet aroma of her hot tea to cross her eyes drolly and shoot a glare at the Doctor.

"You know what; I don't need to hear it from you too."


	17. There's Always Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff goes down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! Finally got this chapter finished! I hope you all enjoy it! As always, feedback is great! :)

Jane stared into the Tesseract with a mesmerized wonder. Her blood thrummed in her veins and sent her heart thumping a faster rhythm. The blue light that shone from the cube blazed and almost seemed to reach out towards her. Jane reached out a hand to meet the light halfway, when another hand gently brushed across her shoulder as if alerting her to its presence and then wrapped around her wrist.

"I wouldn't advise that."

Loki's low voice snaked over her shoulder and snapped Jane out of her daze. She jerked her hand away from the cube and Loki released his hold on her with the action.

"Of course not," Jane said, almost to herself. "Right."

True to his word, this time at least, Loki had found a way to gather scientific instruments for her to use in gathering data. Jane decided she wouldn't ask questions and what Thor didn't know wouldn't hurt him. After all, she was doing this to help save a life. It wasn't like she was here to study the Tesseract for her own selfish interests. She was aware, however, that staring at the cube for too long unbroken sent the Aether thrumming in her veins. Jane resolved not to look directly at the object for long from now on.

She adjusted the energy reader near the cube and turned it on, watching as the numbers spiked higher than she'd ever known them to go.

"This is amazing," she mumbled to herself. "The amount of power in such a contained space..."

She felt another thrill across her skin at the thought, as if her very blood sang out at the idea of it. It made her hands shake in anticipation for things she didn't understand, and she forced herself to take several deep breaths before positioning more equipment for various other readings.

"Yes, fascinating," Loki agreed. He was leaned over next to her and staring at the Tesseract himself. "But are you making any real progress yet? We can't linger here long without drawing attention."

"Just give me half a minute."

Jane was far too interested in the properties of the Tesseract to spare an anxious thought about Loki or whether they might be caught. The data she was pulling from the first few simple tests were groundbreaking all on their own. And S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't wanted to share any of this information with the scientific community!

A device at her side recorded a baseline reading of the cube as Jane worked around it to prepare conditions before trying to illicit a reaction from it. She wasn't sure if Loki would exactly approve, but she needed the information if she wanted to bring anything useful back to Tony. Her eyes caught on the Tesseract a few seconds too long and she felt something overwhelm her senses. Jane's fingers twitched at her sides as she tilted her head to the side, listening to the silence.

"I could end Malekith here and now." Her voice was odd, almost hollow yet lilting at the end as if in wonder. "With space and reality right here..."

Her fingers and wrists twisted and curled as if playing with smoke and darkness started to seep over her eyes.

Something felt like it struck Jane right through the chest, and then she could see herself. She was floating above the earth, dancing on a wave of Aether with a halo of blue light at her back. The power she could yield with only a flicks of her fingers and a wave of her hand made her heady. She could save the planet. She could make it new again. Any question she'd ever had, all the impossible things colleagues said could never be done, she could do. She had answers.

And then she was no longer in the vision. Jane blinked, all the feelings and knowledge from the dream fading, and found she was in an entirely different room than the one that held the Tesseract. Loki stood tall and unimpressed beside her.

"I do hope you gathered all the data you needed, Ms. Foster," he said. "Because you won't be seeing the Tesseract again."

Jane's eyes flickered down to her arm, to the veins she could actually see glowing red before they faded back to her natural skin tone. She swallowed nervously and rubbed at her arm as if to draw the Aether out of her blood.

"Yeah. That might be a good call."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

After the Cheerok adventure, Sutton found there was a blessed and well deserved lull in dangerous adventures. They visited a few planets without incident at all and that was almost more unbelievable than running down cobblestone streets with alien eggs.

When things got quiet, or when she prompted, Rose would agree to show her all the different rooms that she'd been to in the TARDIS. Sometimes the Doctor would join them, and sometimes he stayed behind to tinker with whatever project he'd started working on.

The latest stop was on earth so that Rose could gather a few more of her things and Sutton managed to weasel her way into getting a much needed haircut.

Later, with freshly trimmed bangs and cleaned up split ends, she found herself strolling down a London street with the Doctor while Rose spent some time catching up with her mother. Mickey would probably show up to see her as well if he found out Rose was back.

Sutton snacked on some fish and chips while she walked because she wanted the full English experience, or at least as much as she could.

And fish and chips was super English, right?

The Doctor hadn't said too much so far on their stroll, but Sutton wasn't bothered by it. There wasn't anything dangerous or alien related going on, so it wasn't surprising that he would be subdued at the moment. She took the time to appreciate the architecture on either side of the busy streets, the street vendors selling art and postcards to tourists, and the dusty gray clouds that blanketed the sky in what she assumed was typical weather for the area. A half smile itched up her face even while chewing bits of her fried fish. The clouds reminded her of home.

"I've never been to London before," she commented again, trying to get some conversation rolling. "Maybe I'll be able to visit it again when I get back. It would be interesting to see if there are any differences between this one and the Marvel one. Though I'm sure Parliament and Big Ben are pretty constant."

The Doctor didn't instantly respond and Sutton frowned around a mouthful of french fries.

"I thought usually you'd be more interested in comparing parallel dimensions. Not that I really, actually know you super well, but... are you, um, are you ok?"

He didn't quite meet her eyes and spared her a half attempt at a smile which only made Sutton frown further as she swallowed her food.

" 'Course," he said. "You're situation is just tricky is all. I may be brilliant, but it's still a complicated problem. I'm just tryin' to figure it all out."

Sutton nodded her head in understanding and patted at his shoulder awkwardly.

"Well, I hope you know I really appreciate it, and that I really don't expect instant results. It's ok if it takes you a little bit, I understand. I mean, Tony and Bruce were working on it together and it took them awhile!" She laughed nervously but the Doctor didn't join in so she cut herself off abruptly and picked at her fries. "Anyway."

They walked a bit longer, long enough that Sutton's feet were starting to get sore, before they got a text from Rose saying that it was safe for them to come over. Sutton trotted up to the apartment after the Doctor, adjusting her traveling bag over her shoulder as it bounced against her back, and wondered about how the visit might go. Rose's mom was always a trip when she appeared on the show.

Sutton wasn't sure if the Doctor even knocked as he swept open the apartment door and loudly announced his presence in what seemed like a sudden mood change. Sutton made sure that the front door closed completely before following him into the living room. Rose sat on a couch next to her mother and Mickey, who had obviously made it over in time, sat in a chair across from them. Rose's mother spoke up after shooting the Doctor a skeptical look.

"Are ya really leavin' again wi' him?"  
Rose rolled her eyes and sighed, letting Sutton know that they'd most likely had this conversation before.

"Yes, mum."

"Jackie," the Doctor said, "always good to see you."

Jackie scowled and then finally noticed Sutton off to the side.

"Oi, what's this? Another one? What'dya do, pick up girls where'er you go, eh? I see how you are, ya perv-"

"Mum!"

Mickey seemed to be stifling a snicker behind a cough, and the Doctor rolled his eyes at the blatant accusation.

"The Doctor is just helping me out," Sutton piped up. "I'm not really hanging around long term; if it makes you feel better."  
Jackie seemed surprised by the statement, though Sutton wasn't sure why.

"You American," the woman asked in what sounded like amazement.

Sutton nodded an affirmative and shrugged as if in apology.

"Sure am. I know it's probably weird considering on the sh-, uh, considering we're in the middle of London. Do you not get many Americans in this area?"  
"No' in my house! Poor thing. If this one 's helpin' you, no tellin' if you'll ever actually get to go back 'ome again."

Rose rolled her eyes once more and stood up, Mickey jumped up as well when he saw her move.

"Are you really leavin' already," he asked.

Sutton watched as Rose grinned cheekily as if it were an obvious answer.

" 'Course. I jus' came back to check in and grab some things. We got so many more places to see. And we hav' to help Sutton get back home as well!"

The Doctor shoved his hands into his pockets and dropped his weight onto one leg. His head canted to the side and sent his hair flopping over with it. Sutton's gaze flickered to him at the movement, but she quickly refocused on the main conversation.

She smiled at the glances she was once again spared and pushed her newly trimmed bangs out of her eyes as reflex. Rose moved over to embrace her mother in a hug to last the duration of however long she'd be gone for next. Mickey waited impatiently for his own hug and Sutton gnawed lightly at her bottom lip in sympathetic amusement. The Doctor flashed a grin whenever Rose was finished with her goodbyes.

"As always, lovely to see you, Jackie."  
Jackie raised an eyebrow but smirked.

"Ah, shut it."  
Sutton said fleeting goodbyes to Rose's mom and ex-boyfriend, and then followed her companions out the front door.

Back outside the air felt like it was growing cooler and Sutton breathed in the crisp air with a quiet hum. Wherever they were headed next, there was sure to be trouble. They'd already gone awhile without any further hiccups and in this universe that was never bound to last. Sutton tried not to let herself wonder about how many adventures with the Doctor she could manage to survive.

She felt continuously like a third wheel as she trailed behind them, somehow more so even than when she'd spent time around Tony and Pepper. But it wasn't awful, she was still enjoying herself while her life wasn't in mortal danger and she was getting to see new, exotic places previously inaccessible to her. Especially other planets, like, really, when would she ever get to say she'd visited another planet ever again?

She had one up on Tony actually, now that she thought about it! She couldn't wait to casually bring that up at the next office potluck.

The TARDIS came back into view, and Rose was jogging forward with her duffel bag, grinning about something and the Doctor was giving her a fond smile as he offered a rebuttal. Sutton couldn't help smiling herself and jogged the last remaining steps to the TARDIS doors. Inside, she tossed her bag on a spare seat and flopped down next to it with a sigh. Rose seemed chipper and excited to get back to exploring the universe.

"So, where we off to next? Do we need ta fetch anything to help with Sutton?"  
Sutton looked up with more attention at hearing her name and let herself sink further into her seat.

"It's ok if it takes time," she tried to amend. The Doctor's recent moodiness had been throwing her off center, and she wasn't sure how to process it. If he was feeling pressured to find an instant solution, she wanted to make sure he didn't expect that. She'd like to get back in one piece, after all, and she appreciated that those sorts of things took time.

The Doctor finished flipping some switches and spinning an odd wheel that caused the TARDIS to grumble and then start to _whoop_. After it seemed he had a location set, he finally turned while fiddling with whatever he had pulled out of his pocket. Sutton recognized it as what he'd been tinkering with since after they'd helped Nihir on her planet. From what she could tell it was gold, or brass, and on a chain. The way he tapped at it nervously made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Well see now, I haven't quite found a way before now to explain everything. About getting Sutton back home, that is."

That made Sutton sit up a bit straighter in her seat. She eyed the artifact in his hand with a keener eye and more suspicion. Rose, too, looked confused and a bit unsure of where he was headed with that statement.

"You should probably explain then," Sutton said, "because that just did the opposite of easing my nerves."

The Doctor hummed in the back of his throat as if mentally preparing for whatever he had to say next.

"Do you remember how I told you that you're ripping holes in universes with every jump you make?"  
Sutton hesitated, then nodded. The Doctor clenched his hand around the object in his hand and finally made eye contact.

"Sutton," he said, "I can't send you back."

For a moment, she couldn't move, the words didn't sink in and it was just noise that she was just trying to process. Her fingers were cold and her breathing hitched.

"What?"  
"The walls between universes are already too thin. Sending you back would only cause further damage, and even then, your molecular structure still hasn't changed. You'll just be right back where you started, and the universes will be slowly torn apart."

Sutton opened and closed her mouth a few times, she brought a shaking hand up to tug at her hair.

"What? No, that can't- I mean, I'm still going to leave eventually. My molecules, or whatever, they're going to realize I'm not back in my universe and I'll-"

He displayed what he held in his hand so that it could be clearly seen and the words died in Sutton's throat. It was a fob watch.

"You recognize this," he said in surprise. Sutton nodded silently. "I've modified it," he continued. "Usually it's for emergencies, if I needed to go into hiding, pretend to be human and all that. But you're already human. I've managed to modify it so that it will only change your molecular structure to match this universe's. You'll still have to have new memories, of course-"  
"I don't want new memories!"  
Sutton shot off the seat and onto her unsteady legs. She had to stop the direction this conversation was going. If he kept talking like this the idea might get stuck in his head and he got very angsty and sacrificing when the universe was in the balance.

"Just give me the watch," she said. "You can send me home and I'll have Tony work on it and-"

"There's no guarantee that this will work in this other universe. That's not a chance I can take."

A hand on her shoulder reminded her of Rose's presence and she allowed the girl to offer that small comfort.

"Docta' there has to be something we can do. There's always som'thing."

"I'm afraid there isn't this time."

Sutton squared her shoulders and scowled as she tried to think up another argument that had a hope of swaying the Doctor.

"I'm not staying here forever. I won't. I already gave up one earth and one family, and I was just building up a new one for myself! Maybe I wasn't doing it very quickly and maybe I was still hung up on some stuff, but I was about to start really working at it! I'm not going to start all over again. And, and besides, Tony is probably trying to find a way to get me back."

"He won't be able to. Sutton, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Sutton dug her nails into the palms of her hands and tried not to get worked up. But her eyes were hot and she could feel hysteria creeping into her ribcage.

"You don't know Tony," she said.

And then emotion flashed across his face and it rocked her, sinking the severity of the situation into her bones. _Pity._ He felt pity for her. Sutton took two steps backwards, causing Rose's hand to fall off her shoulder and putting more of a distance between herself and the Doctor. Her stomach twisted further and her eyes instantly found the homemade bag. Another feeling manifested, though Sutton found it wasn't the same sort of sick feeling that she experienced before a jump. No, this one coiled in her gut and made her heart hurt; fear. Betrayal.

"You said you would help me," she said. Her voice just barely cracking as she spoke. "I don't want to live in this universe."

Rose stepped forward, positioning herself even more like a shield between Sutton and the Doctor and actually spoke on Sutton's behalf.

"There has got to be anotha' way," she said. "You can't force her to stay here and change who she is. It's not fair."

Sutton might have cared that he looked sincerely sorry about trapping her in a universe where the earth was usually attacked every Christmas, but she was more concerned that those were his intentions in the first place. The TARDIS suddenly seemed infinitely smaller than it actually was. And if inside the TARDIS with the Doctor wasn't safe, was anywhere? Upon seeing that it was clear that the Doctor's decision wasn't going to be swayed, Sutton reacted as she usually did when confused and frazzled: impulsively.

She took off into the labyrinth that was the TARDIS and ran to lose herself in one of the many rooms. Down a hall, turn to the left, turn right, run some more; the room she finally dove into was actually a bathroom. Just a giant, dream bathroom with claw foot tub and everything. Sutton tried to choke back the distressed noise that tried to jump from her throat. How odd was it that a bathroom would bring back so many memories? She locked the door and crawled into the tub as she tried to slow her panting. Her hands still shook as she rubbed at her face and tried to think. She needed a plan, a good plan, that would be the only way she was going to get out of the universe.

But there were so many thoughts racing through her mind; the words "can't send you back" replaying on a loop that she couldn't silence. Sure, sure she knew that the Doctor was not always able to save everyone, but he was supposed to be able to help with the big things. The things that really mattered. And it really mattered to Sutton that she return back to Marvel earth! That the Doctor would fail in finding a solution, that he would try to force this type of solution on her, make her stomach drop. She still hardly believed it. She had been so confident in his ability to help. She'd believed that he could. So how could it have gone so wrong?

If she believed something, it happened. That's how it worked, wasn't it?

_Oh._

But he could send her back. He'd implied that quite clearly. He was choosing not to because of those affects she was causing universally. Tears in universes didn't seem like something she could imagine away.

"And I can't affect free will. I couldn't chance Madame Pomfrey's mind about the library, and I won't be able to change his mind either."

She sat back down in the tub, resting the back of her head against the lip and sighing for the thousandth time. If only she had been able to master any sort of strategy that didn't include trying to ignore a problem and hoping it went away.

"Ok," she said to herself, "ok. All I have to do is avoid him and that watch until my body wigs out again, right? I mean, it only took months last time. Ugh!"

Maybe being in space would speed things along? She could hope.

She sat, cradled in the porcelain tub, for a while, trying to plan out all the different ways she could make a break for it once the TARDIS landed somewhere. But the question always arose, would she really want to strand herself wherever it was they were going?

Eventually, her body heat warmed the cool material of the tub and Sutton found her eyes drifting closed. She was just settling into sleep when a knock at the door startled her back awake, one foot kicking reflexively at the tub wall.

"Sutton, are you in there? I've tried seventeen other doors already."

Groaning, Sutton twisted so that she could sling one arm out over the edge of the tub and frowned at the door. It was Rose, and Rose had stood up on her behalf in front of the Doctor.

"Yeah," she ground out. She threw one leg and then the other over the edge and climbed out of her safe spot to unlock the door. Rose stood sheepishly outside the door and offered her a soft smile.

"Thanks."

She stepped in, noticing it was a bathroom, and quirked an eyebrow at Sutton. Sutton shrugged and gestured to the closed toilet lid.

"I'm assuming you want to talk?"

Rose flashed a quick smile again and took a seat on the toilet lid.

"I thought you might need some comp'ny."

Sutton thought about climbing back into the tub, and then settled with sitting on the edge. She nodded in agreement at Rose's statement and shrugged noncommittally.

"It's just; I really thought that he could help me. He's the Doctor, you know? And I didn't realize that I, that all this traveling, was actually affecting things. I'm just me. How could I cause something so big?"

Her hands came up, gesturing helplessly as she spoke and settled back in her lap to pick at her nails when she was finished.

"I already gave up one family. And maybe I'll never have Christmas dinners with the Avengers, but I care about them. And I don't want to start over all over again. I liked my job, I had a decent apartment for New York, and Tony is like a weird, rich cousin. I just, ugh! I won't give that up!"

Rose fidgeted a bit and bit her bottom lip in what appeared to be nervousness.

"I can't imagine what tha's like," she said. "The Docta' explained it a bit more to me. About the universes tearing and such. It sounds pretty big. 'S a lot of lives at risk."

Sutton looked up sharply, her hair flaring up with the action as she pinned Rose with a indignant look.

"He convinced you that I need to stay here."

Rose ducked her head apologetically, but didn't deny it. Her eyes still shone with a determination and will to do what needed to be done.

"It's not just one earth," she said. "It's every earth. That's like, what, six billion people? Times howe'er many earths there are?"

And Sutton's rational mind said, 'yes, that makes sense. Billions upon billions of lives are much more important than just me'. And yet, something else slithered up from the recesses of her consciousness. It was something she knew that she should probably squash out now, but she really just didn't want to.

She did not want to stay in this universe.

She deserved to go home!

Her teeth clamped together behind her lips and her knuckles whitened as she gripped the tub. The feeling calcified around her heart the longer she thought about it. She hadn't sacrificed all that she had just to lose it all now. And how bad off could the universes seriously be? There didn't seem to be any signs of decay that she had been able to notice. She was only one person traveling around, not an entire army of Cybermen or Daleks!

No, she'd come too far; given up one family too many. She was going to do this one thing for herself.

"I don't know, Rose," she said. "I don't know if I can do it."

"It's not fair, and it sounds awful, but you don't hav' to do an'thing. All you hav' to do is, ugh, well, forget."

Rose winced in sympathy as she said it, but Sutton still scowled further at the statement. Giving up another life was bad enough, but forgetting?

No; no she refused to forget one single thing.


	18. If At First You Don't Succeed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is late! I got busy and forgot to update this account!

"One last adventure," Sutton mocked under her breath. She slunk down another dim hallway in nothing more than a spare pair of pajamas and socks, and checked that the coast was clear before continuing on.

"Tell me I get one last one. Well, I'm not staying here, you unlicensed phony-"  
A creak, or was it a groan, came from somewhere behind her and she froze until it was obvious that no one was following her. It must have been some floor panels settling for the night. Sutton continued to move carefully, always listening for footsteps as she glided along. It only felt like it took forever to get back to the main console room because she was so paranoid about being caught.

In the main room it was silent, save for the low hum of still running computers, and Sutton circled around the console to search the area. She wanted that watch. Needed it. And maybe the Doctor wouldn't just have it laying out for her, but she had to at least check. The console produced enough of its own glowing light to see with, and it only took a lap around it to see that the watch wasn't there. She snorted out an indignant puff of air.

Of course it wouldn't be that simple.

The surrounding area in the main room was watch free as well. After silently searching every last cupboard and cranny, Sutton had to accept that the Doctor probably had the watch with him. He was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them.

She snatched up her bag instead from where she'd left it on the seat near the doors and slowly made her way back towards the bedroom. Neither Rose nor the Doctor confronted her on her way back, and Sutton sighed as she reentered her borrowed room uncaught, yet also unsuccessful. Back in her room, she crawled up onto the high bed that looked like it belonged in a Syfy movie and clutched her bag close to her chest.

"I just need some sleep," she mumbled to herself. "I'll be able to come up with something once I've gotten some rest."

But she wasn't quite sure that she even believed herself.

[][]

The Doctor was chipper the next morning; Sutton was positive that it was, in part, an attempt to put her in a better mood. Sutton, however, wasn't ten anymore and it would take more than a bright smile and a new planet to distract her from her looming fate.

"Any place you'd like to see, Sutton?"  
Sutton pursed her lips and adjusted her bag over her shoulders.

"Don't care," she said, "you pick. I actually don't know that much about this galaxy, contrary to what one might think."

He seemed slightly rebuffed by her answer, but she couldn't work up the effort to care. She still hadn't come up with a plan to get that watch, and time was only running out. For the moment, she was guessing that the watch was in his jacket, because there was a bulge in his breast pocket that hadn't been there before, and it made sense for safe keeping.

Rose threaded her fingers through the Doctor's and gave his hand a light squeeze in encouragement. Sutton huffed quietly and looked somewhere else.

"I know," the Doctor spoke in a new excited tone, but something told her he'd had a plan in mind all along. "How 'bout we go visit Jane Austen, eh? Everyone likes a nice romp in a period piece."

Sutton's eyes flickered up despite her attempts to remain obstinate. She did like Jane Austen books. The Doctor caught her gaze and his grinned widened; Sutton tried to scowl in return.

"Eighteen-thirteen it is!"

Rose smiled widely in excitement and delight and the Doctor threw a lever that sent the TARDIS spinning through time and space. Sutton tried not to be at all excited and keep her mind focused on the mission.

And then Rose led her back to the dressing closet to find period appropriate clothes.

Sutton twisted so that the loose fabric around her legs swished back and forth and admired the detailing on the bodice of the frock. The dress was a pale color, almost totally white, and had some lace and beading around the neck. It was the classic short waist and empire skirt style of the time and Sutton couldn't help but feel regal in it. Her hair was all pinned on tip of her head mirroring a Roman style and the curls actually seemed to be working to her advantage for once.

_Lull him into a false sense of security_ , she told herself. _Let him think you're totally distracted by meeting Jane Austen and then make a dive for that watch!_

So it was acceptable, even vital, that she seemed excited for this trip. That would definitely be the only reason she seemed enthusiastic at all.

Rose was wearing a similar dress, though Sutton thought that Rose wore it better than she ever could. When Rose had finished pulling on a pair of long gloves she took Sutton's hand and dragged her back into the console room to meet up with the Doctor who, as usual, decided to just stick with his standard outfit. He smiled at them both when they came to a stop next to him, but his gaze lingered a bit longer on Rose.

"Well, are we all ready then?"

He offered his arm to Rose and she slipped her hand through it with a grin. Sutton shot them a tight, awkward smile and twiddled her fingers momentarily before moving to the door. It opened to reveal green English countryside. The blast of cool air that rushed through sent a chill down her back and goosebumps rising up on her skin. Nonetheless, she stepped out onto the grass and eyed the brick home that stood just before them.

"That's her house," Sutton chirped. "It is, isn't it? I think I might've seen it in a special once. Or it just looks like one of the houses from the Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley. "

"Oh, I like the Mr. Darcy in tha' one," Rose said with a grin.

"His voice is magnificent."

The two girls snickered slightly as the Doctor rolled his eyes with a frown. He pushed ahead of them and gestured with his shoulder for them to follow.

"Come on, then. Do you lot want to meet Ms. Austen or not?"  
Sutton and Rose shot each other a smirk and then moved to catch up with the ruffled time traveler.

Sutton immediately sobered when there weren't any outside influences to distract her from what this trip was really about: placating her. Rolling her shoulders, she eyed the Doctor's jacket. But she didn't really feel like a jump was coming. Her stomach was settled, her head was clear, and there wasn't a bit of tingling pain running through her limbs.

Funny how she suddenly wished that there was.

As they neared the home of one of earth's most famed romance authors, it was clear that it wasn't unoccupied. Muffled voices came from inside the home and was often accompanied by laughter and silhouettes shifted behind the couple windows that the home actually had. It appeared that the Doctor was planning on just walking up to the front door and inviting themselves in for tea, or whatnot. Sutton wrung her fingers together briefly as he rapped loudly on the door.

Sutton was actually holding her breath without realizing it when the door opened. It was an older woman who stood on the other side of the cracked open door. She was dressed much like she and Rose were, but held herself with a poise that had you suddenly trying to straighten your posture. She eyed them all curiously before directing her attention to the Doctor.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I do hope so!"  
The Doctor shot her one of his sunny smiles that were supposed to be charming. Sutton raised a brow as he dipped in quick bow and took the woman's hand.

"You must be the lovely Mrs. Austen. I'm the Doctor and these are my companions. We were wondering if it would be any trouble to meet your wonderfully talented daughter. We're big fans of her books."  
Sutton did not feel the excited thrill that he referring to her as a companion had last brought. She was reminded quite suddenly of what actually happened to most of his companions in the end and her stomach churned a little more.

The woman, who she guessed was Jane's mother, blinked a couple times while uttering an, "oh".

"Jane?" She seemed surprised by the idea and Sutton wasn't sure if it were that her daughter had fans at all, or that they had trekked to their home to invite themselves in. Seeing that they had no intention of moving from the door, Mrs. Austen turned back into the house.

"Come in," she said. And if Sutton thought the woman sounded a bit flustered, she didn't point it out. "Jane, darling, you have some guests!"

They all followed Mrs. Austen into the house and into their humble parlor. Two other voices drew nearer as they took their seats on a stuffed couch, and Mrs. Austen headed back out of the room.

"I'll get us some tea."

The next moment two new women entered the room and Sutton sat up straighter, smoothing out any wrinkles that might've formed in her dress. Both had darker hair in curls that sat atop their heads in a similar fashion as Rose and she had done, and Sutton waited with baited breath as one stepped forward.

"My mother tells me I have guests, but I do not recall meeting any of you."

"We haven't met," Rose cut in, "but we love your works. We 're hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble if we came and told you ourselves."

Both girls paused in surprise and then the other, who Sutton assumed was Jane's sister, grinned and clutched at her sister's arm.

"See, Jane, what did I tell you? Only a week from the publishing date and you already have adamant admirers!"  
Jane smiled in return, though it seemed like she might've been trying to hold it back.

"Well I am very flattered," she said. Both girls sat down once their mother returned with a tea tray and began serving it. Sutton accepted a delicate tea cup gratefully from the sister, who'd introduced herself as Cassandra, and let it warm her cool fingers before taking a sip.

"So," Jane's sister broke through the silence, "might we know the names of my sister's zealous followers?" She smiled cheekily and Sutton decided that she liked this woman. They introduced themselves in turn and Sutton couldn't help but tack on an extra sentence or two.

"I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie and Darcy have to be some of my favorite literary characters. Er, at least some of my new favorites."

"I am flattered to hear it. I must confess I am quite fond of the pair myself."

The Doctor reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and Sutton's heart sped up as she watched him pull the item out into view. It was not the watch at all. Instead, in his hands he held an old looking book. Not so much old looking because of wear and tear, but it was shorter than the standard size books usually printed nowadays. The cover was blank save for the title of the work. _Pride and Prejudice._

"Would it be too troubling to ask you to sign this? Miss Regan here is too shy to ask herself, I believe."

Sutton reddened slightly as Jane quirked an eyebrow at her and smirked, though it was entirely uncalled for. She shot the Doctor an unappreciative look and smoothed out her dress again. Jane accepted the manuscript and pen that the Doctor passed to her and Sutton wondered if this was supposed to be some sort of consolation prize.

_Sorry you have to lose all your most treasured memories and be trapped in a universe you don't want to be in nor belong in; here's a personalized, autographed book!_

It was insulting. She was still definitely going to take the book though.

It was quiet as Jane signed the book, and Sutton stopped trying to read upside down and from so far away and instead admired the humble parlor. It was fairly sparse, but the furniture still seemed to be a decent quality, with delicate floral patterns printed on the fabric. The walls were painted a light color and overall the space held an airy country atmosphere. It did very much remind her of something she would see in a period film.

"I do have to say," said Sutton, working up the nerve to speak again, "that Mr. Darcy just might have given me unrealistic expectations about men. Despite his flaws and social awkwardness, he's quite the catch."

She'd said it in a tone cheery enough that it was clear her statement was meant to be lighthearted, and Jane laughed.

"Yes, the more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love."

Rose snorted a bit through her nose.

"Well, I know I haven't given up qui'e yet."

Sutton smirked and glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Rose was adamantly not looking at the Doctor and the Doctor was cheekily pressing his lips together in return. Sutton rolled her eyes despite the fact that she had shipped them as a couple while watching the show.

"All for the best," Cassandra noted. "After all, some of us must marry or else what hope would the world have?"

When the tea and biscuits were gone, the women invited them for a turn about their small garden, and Sutton was sure it was just good manners that they did so. Or perhaps they were bored, and having weird visitors who traveled this far to gush about a book was amusing to them. It didn't look like much excitement happened on a daily basis.

The gardens were damp from the weather, but it was bright and the recent moisture had the grass gleaming a vibrant shade of green. Various flowers were open and trying to soak up whatever sunlight they could for the day. It had the air smelling fresh and slightly sweet.

Sutton copied Jane and Cassandra's gait and poise as they walked and tried not to get too caught up in meeting one of her favorite authors. But she was quickening her pace to try and stay by Jane's side.

"So, I was wondering. Obviously Lizzie is her own character, but how much of yourself do you see in her? Do you actually know anyone as unappealing as Mr. Collins? What inspired you to write?"  
The Austen sisters exchanged glances and Sutton rubbed uncomfortably at her arm.

"Sorry. I just really like your books, and I, well, I didn't think I'd ever meet you. And there's not as many female authors to look up to as there should be."

She, of course, enjoyed Austen's other books besides Pride and Prejudice, but she wasn't quite certain of their publishing dates. For once, she was trying to play it a bit safe. If she heard a whisper of a snicker from the Doctor and Rose behind them at her expense, she was going to implode. Jane reached over to join hands with Sutton and gave her a fond smile.

"It's quite alright. I admire your passion; though I can't say it doesn't seek to encourage pride where I have none. I write only because I enjoy it. And it serves me well to occupy my mind in some fashion. In regard to your questions, I can only say that I have indeed met a far too many Mr. Collins'."

Sutton grinned widely despite herself.

"That's fair enough."

A short conversation later and the Doctor was supposing aloud that it was time that they excused themselves and let the women get on with their daily life. They strolled back out of the garden and thanked the family enthusiastically while farewelling at the front door.

Jane pinned both Sutton and Rose with a piercing gaze and held each of their hands.

"I do hope that despite however charming you are able to find dear Mr. Darcy, you manage to remember the lessons on pride and prejudices that I intended to convey. After all, characters in books can hold certain truths, but they could never exist in flesh and blood."

"O' course."

Sutton hummed in reply and partially wished that were true.

They started out across the lawn, the sun having sunken lower in the sky than Sutton realized, and Jane called out before they got too far.

"And take heart, Miss Regan! While some Lizzie's never find their Darcy's, there are still a many who do!"

Sutton snorted, though Jane wouldn't be able to hear it, and waved a final goodbye.

"Right, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any awkward guys who really have an intense chivalrous side!"

Soon enough they were back on the TARDIS, back to what the real point of this trip was about, and Sutton was back to square one in regards to finding that stupid watch.

[][]

Sutton quickly changed out of the regency dress back on the TARDIS for more practical jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie. She had a feeling that she'd want to have a full range of motion from now on.

Rose had changed as well by the time Sutton had been able to wrestle off the dress and get back to the console room. The book Jane had signed was sitting next to her bag that she'd kept conveniently next to the exit door. She picked it up to distract herself for a moment and read the inscription Jane was left.

_Miss Regan,_

_The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. It is a delight to find that you are not among them._

_Jane Austen_

"So, Sutton, you said you're from the Pacific Northwest in the States, yeah?"

The Doctor's voice cut through her straying thoughts and she bristled. Her skin suddenly tingled and muscles tightened. This was it then? One last adventure indeed.

_Where was the watch?_

Carefully putting the book in her bag with her other collectables, Sutton turned to face him. His facial expression said that he knew that she knew; Sutton slung her bag over one shoulder.

"I did."

She curbed the urge to argue her case again because she'd learned her lesson this past year or so. Sometimes, you just weren't going to convince people to change their mind and agree with you. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and opened a panel on the main controls that hadn't been visible before. From the panel he pulled out the watch. Sutton dug her nails into her palm.

"Will the walls in the universes repair themselves if I don't travel around anymore?'

He looked at her softly, as if by asking the question she had resigned herself to her fate and was looking for reassurances. Sutton was ok with him thinking that.

"It will take time; but I believe if given enough, the walls will be able to return to being almost fully restored."

Her nod and general appearance must have come across as calm and accepting. Inside, Sutton could feel a painful tightening in her chest and her heart beating all the way up in her neck. She was definitely not feeling calm. If anything, seeing the Doctor with the watch and that look on his face only made her feel all the more jittery and short of breath. She curled both hands into fists to hide the shaking.

"And there's no way you're going to just send me back to Marvel with the watch?"

He pressed his lips together and spared her one more sympathetic look. Rose's hand was on her shoulder again and she was looking at Sutton from under furrowed brows.

"I'm really sorry it has to be this way."

Sutton nodded and ran a hand through her curls, a few thoughts racing through her mind at once.

"I want to see it then," she said. "I want to see my hometown one last time while I still have all my memories."

The Doctor nodded at that and Rose gave her shoulder what was supposed to be an encouraging squeeze.

"That can be done."

Sutton saw how he slipped the fob watch into his right side pants pocket before he started gearing up the TARDIS for transport.

Rose sat down next to her as they started their journey; she fidgeted a bit, picking under her nails briefly and biting her lip.

"Do you wan' to talk about them at a'? Before, you know."

Sutton sighed and, after a moment, decided to indulge them just because she still had no intentions of cooperating in the least.

The universes could surely handle one or two more jumps from her.

[][]

The fresh northwest air and greenery shook her more than she expected. She stood frozen in the doorway of the TARDIS just peering out at the familiar landscape that she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. A lump formed in her throat as she wondered if her family existed in this universe.

There might be billions upon billions of lives in the balance, possibly, but at the moment it seemed distant and unreal. What was real to Sutton at the moment was that the Doctor was asking, demanding, that she lose her family twice over. Here, as a new person, she wouldn't even have the friend's she'd made to help her pick up the pieces and carry on.

She'd be alone. And she wouldn't even be herself.

Her eyes welled up slightly as she took a few steps outside and inhaled the fresh, pine-scented air. It was particularly strong after being gone for a year. New York City might be many things, but it couldn't ever hope to compete with her hometown in terms of beauty or peacefulness.

Footsteps behind her alerted her to the others' presence, and she felt hot and cold, panicked and wired all over again.

"'s there anything you'd like to see?"  
Sutton's jaw clenched. There were plenty of places she'd like to visit. Her childhood home, the first park she was allowed to walk to by herself, the cupcake shop were she'd gone with her first crush, the coffee shop that had the perfect atmosphere for sitting and feeling productive, her mother's office she'd sometimes get dragged to when they couldn't afford a babysitter, or the empty theater she took Tyrese to where they laughed loudly the entire movie.

But it was naïve to think that any of those places still existed here. And even if they did, they wouldn't hold the same memories that she'd come to treasure.

Sutton's posture became rigid, her body trembling despite the fact that she tried valiantly to remain still. Her teeth were clamped shut behind closed lips, fists clenched at her sides, and eyes blinking back tears rapidly.

"I can't stay here," she bit out. There was a distant dizziness in the back of her head that had the potential to be disorienting. "You don't understand. I can't start over again. I just, I can't. And Tony can fix it. With the watch, Tony can make sure I stay on one earth. Why can't you just send me back!"  
She heard him walk around to face her, hands in his pockets, as he continued to look sorry for the job he had to do.

"Sutton," he said. His voice sounded alarmingly close to emotional and he paused what seemed a painfully extended amount of time. "You're dying."

The world went silent and Sutton blinked a few more times as the words settled over the group.

"What?"  
"The human body was not made to handle the stress of universal travel. There's so much raw energy coursing through your body unrestrained. Every time you jump, it takes a toll." He paused again and Sutton could only feel the painfully sharp pulse of her heart underneath every inch of her skin.

"A few more trips and you might never reconstruct."


	19. Some Ends and Other Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update because I was still behind on this account!

Sutton felt stunned by the Doctor's admission; as if he had spoken the words with the express purpose of harming her.

"Dying? Like, dead-dying? All the way?"

The Doctor wouldn't joke about something like dying, Sutton knew that. But how could she possibly accept the statement as truth? Sure, her muscles and bones felt sore a bit recently, and maybe her stomach often felt queasy, but that wasn't dying. That was just stress. Nothing a nap couldn't fix, right?

"You're strong, Sutton, that's clear enough. But it's too much for anyone. Your heart, your body, it can't take this kind of stress indefinitely. If you want a chance to live you have t' stay."

Sutton's lips were a thin, hard line by the time he'd finished talking. The muscles in her legs were quivering almost uncontrollably and a familiar, nausea rippled through her stomach. Sutton swallowed and tried to steady herself.

_Why did it feel like her heart skipped every other beat?_

"No matter how I look at it," she said, "I die either way."  
"Sutton."

There was a loud alarm sounding from the TARDIS and both Rose and the Doctor seemed surprised by it. The Doctor turned back to Sutton with arms spread in a supplicating gesture.

"Sutton, you need to calm down right now! You're going to force yourself into a-"

But the pounding in her temples and the pulling on her limbs was already reaching an unbearable degree. Few tangible thoughts remained in her mind as she clutched her bag and tried to wait out the pain.

_She wanted to go home._

_She needed...something...a watch?_

The Doctor paced forward and put a hand on her shoulder, his lips were moving but Sutton couldn't hear what he was saying. He was too close; he was touching her. He couldn't follow her, that would be bad! She was able to shake herself out of her almost catatonic state enough to move. The energy was building up and she could feel her blood boiling and she had to _move, move, move_ or someone besides her would be getting hurt. The Doctor obviously wasn't expecting her to act out in her current state; that's probably the only reason she was able to rip the fob watch from his grip and shove him away.

"Sutton!"  
Rose rushed forward a few steps, but Sutton held out a hand and she came to a stop.

"Don't come close to me, I-ah!"

Moisture ran down her face and dripped onto her shirt as she breathed through clenched teeth.

"It is- It is getting worse."

Sutton staggered a few feet backwards to put some distance between herself and the couple and then collapsed onto her knees.

Based on the horrified stares that she was getting from the other two, Sutton assumed that she was starting to disappear. There were flashes of light before her eyes and the Doctor and Rose became blurry silhouettes against a bright backdrop.

"-we have to-"

"-'fraid...oo late-"

And then Sutton's vision went dark and all she could feel was the warm metal of the fob watch, the coarse fabric of her treasured bag, and exploding pain.

After an eternity, she finally, finally, felt nothing at all.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Tony groaned as something ran through his hair and over his scalp. An amused hum sounded in reply and Tony tried to remember how he got wherever he was. Peeling open his eyes he found he was face-to-face with Pepper's radiant smile. She grinned with affection and continued stroking his hair.  
"Hello."  
"You drugged me. Again."  
"You needed to sleep, Tony."

He pushed himself up onto his elbows and Pepper's hand dropped down to his jaw. Taking advantage of her hand's position, Tony pressed a tender kiss to her palm.  
"If you wanted me in bed, you know you only had to ask."  
Pepper rolled her eyes though she wore an amused smirk that betrayed her lack of annoyance.  
"And we were almost having a moment."  
Tony grinned.  
"Twelve percent of a moment, tops, and you know it."

Pepper pulled back laughing in mock outrage, and he grumbled as she pulled her hand away from his face. Tony laughed lightly with her, his gaze stalling over her wide smile and gleaming eyes. The freckles on Pepper's nose always crinkled when she laughed and it filled him with a warm feeling. He stole a kiss from her because her face was sunshine and hope and he loved her for it. Pepper kissed him back, and it didn't take long for it to turn more passionate and hungry. Tony wrapped his hand around the back of her head. His fingers glided through her silky red hair to pull her closer. It all might have gone further if it wasn't for Jarvis' interruption.

_[Pardon me, Mr. Stark, but I believe Dr. Richards is having some trouble in the laboratory. There has been an alarming influx of data, and-]_

Tony groaned and sat up, mussing his hair and blinking the sleep out of his eyes.  
"What is Richards still doing in the lab?"  
Pepper slid off the bed herself, and Tony noticed for the first time that she was dressed in day clothes.  
"It's noon, Tony," she said. "Like I said, you really needed some sleep."

Grumbling more genuinely this time, Tony changed into what were most likely yesterday's clothes and jogged to the lab. Pepper followed him out, though she didn't seem to be in a hurry to reach the space. When he could actually see the lab through the polished glass doors Tony made a mad dash for the keypad. He was moving so fast that he might as well have slammed into it. He entered his personal code as rapidly as his fingers would move and threw open the door as he sprinted for the nearest console.

"What is going on!"  
"I don't know; but it's about time you got here! One minute I'm running some preliminary simulations, and then before you know it, it was like the floodgates to the Matrix opened up."

Lines of code and other large chunks of data were streaming through Stark's computers so fast that even Jarvis seemed flustered by it all. Even Tony was having trouble interpreting and categorizing the information with how quickly it was pouring in. One of his servers shot out bright orange sparks and Tony snapped his fingers in its direction.

"Dummy. Dummy, that's your- right. In California."

The server sparked again, and Pepper shuffled out from behind Tony to douse the equipment with a large CO2 extinguisher. She dropped the heavy bottle onto the ground as the sparks fizzled out and turned to Tony looking aghast.

"What is going on? Are we being hacked?"  
"Don't be ridiculous."

He swiped through code on a handheld screen and hardly looked up after he saw that Pepper had handled the server situation.  
"I think we may have just gotten a huge boost in our research efforts."  
Reed popped his head out from behind his computer monitor and his face lit up.  
"I may have been able to identify five different universal frequencies! This shouldn't even be possible. It's almost like-"

"There's a leak," Tony finished. "That's the only way we'd be getting all this data handed to us. There's a crack somewhere or degradation between the universal barriers."  
Pepper sighed in exasperation and tucked some hair behind her ear. Her other hand rose up and gestured emptily in front of her as she tried to understand the situation.

"That all sounds… bad."

Reed snorted at the statement.

"If the cause really is due to degrading barriers, 'bad' is the most conservative word for it."

And then a machine in the corner of the room starting shrieking and Reed actually cursed while Tony dropped what he was working on to run and investigate.

"She's moving again," he called out. "Right now! Jarvis, you better be getting all of this!"

_[Of course, sir. Gathering data now.]_

The room was a flurry of movement from just two people as Reed and Tony tore back and forth across the room. As if the streams of individualized code bombarding his computers wasn't enough, now they were registering extreme energy bursts.

"At least we know she's still alive," Tony muttered.

Reed shot him a look filled with trepidation and Tony frowned at the boy sharply. Pepper wrung her hands together briefly as she noted the tension.

"What? That's good right?"

"What Reed is trying to imply, is that we can only assume that she was alive as of ten minutes ago."

The answer gave Pepper pause and a myriad of emotions flitted across her face from worry to despair and finally settled on defeat.

"Reed," she complained, "I was only just able to get him some sleep."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

When Jane had fantasized what it would be like to be the first human scientist to visit Asgard, she had definitely not taken into account being a planetary threat. There had never been a time, save for the brief moments sneaking around with Loki, where she wasn't being watched at all moments.

For the most part she remained almost glued to Thor's side, but there were moments when he had to attend to other duties. There was practically a war starting for the sake of the universe, and he understandably had problems that needed his attention. During those separations Jane had no less than two guards assigned to her. Jane always preferred Thor, as he was generally better company, and a few other specific reasons.

She liked the way he explained things.

After Malekith's attempt at an attack, the soldiers along the borders of Asgard hadn't been relieved of their watch. If anything, more were added to their ranks. And Jane had never seen an army so shiny. The light of their sun reflected off their breastplates and helmets so vividly that it was almost blinding.

She wondered how long they would get before being forced to see a true battle. She wondered if she would be able to make it however long that was. The Aether still burned in her veins and she could tell that it was weakening her every moment it wasn't removed. She hadn't been able to pick up on any plans for how they planned to save her in the murmured conversations she'd managed to happen upon. But Thor would come through; she knew he would. They, well, they at least cared very much about each other and there was no way that he would allow her to wither away completely like she was currently.

In the present, Jane was accompanied by two guards and the queen of Asgard herself. Frigga had sought Jane out early in the morning and asked if she would like to spend the day by her side. The men were all gathered and discussing battle strategies, and Jane would surely become bored with sitting in a room all day, no matter how ornate. Thinking it rude to do otherwise, especially to Thor's mother, Jane agreed. She joined the queen for a light breakfast and tour around her personal gardens after. And then they went on a walk around the castle grounds, the whole time Frigga explaining how long the castle had been holding their family line and what worlds the various materials were imported from.

It was all interesting, but nothing seemed to be holding Jane's attention for very long. She tried to focus on Frigga's voice, but found herself becoming distracted by the urgency of her own situation, what had happened to her with the Tesseract, and all the new scientific theories that her brief research here had opened the doors to. Not to mention all the new constellations that needed to be mapped!

Frigga patting her arm brought Jane back to the conversation. The woman was smiling warmly down at her as if she knew that her mind had wandered but wasn't going to chastise her for it. Jane smiled sheepishly and ducked her head in mild embarrassment. Frigga smiled a bit mischievously, her lips twisting up on one side in a way that was oddly familiar, before she whispered conspiratorially.

"Why don't we take a turn up here?"  
Jane nodded and followed along, because one didn't just say no to the queen of an entire planet. The guards still followed along a few feet behind, but they remained mute and kept their opinions on their choice of route to themselves. Ahead, after the turn, and further down a grand, golden hall, muffled voices floated down towards them and Jane's attention was piqued.

"What-"

"Shh."  
The queen still wore a secretively pleased smirk as she lead her to a set of double doors and pushed passed them. Jane continued to creep along slightly behind her. Everyone here was so tall, it was hard to keep up with their pace in the first place.

The voices became clear and vivid as they cleared the doors only to find themselves on a narrow, empty balcony. Frigga held out a hand for Jane to take and pulled her closer to the railing where she stood motionless and proud. The dim lighting around them would make them hard to see for anyone who didn't already know they were there and Jane felt the adrenaline rush kick in as she realized that they were spying on a meeting they obviously were not exactly invited to.

Some sort of assembly had been called, and Jane was able to quickly pick out the golden halo of hair that meant Thor was in the same room. Her heart beat a little faster and she leaned forward a bit more to try and get a better view of the ground floor. Thor was standing before what appeared to be a counsel of some sort, with Odin sitting at the front of the room on a large throne-like chair.

"We cannot risk innocent Asgardian lives," Thor continued to pronounce. "Make no mistake, Malekith and his army will return. That is why we must take the battle to them! He will not expect us to make the offensive move and we can strike down most of his forces."

"And no part of that plan is motivated by ulterior motives," Odin challenged. "It has nothing to do with your mortal woman who currently holds the Aether?"  
Jane could see Thor's shoulders stiffen even from where she stood, and she quickly glanced away from the scene in embarrassed resentment. A hand rested on her shoulder and she looked over to see Frigga continuing to watch the proceedings with slightly pressed lips.

"Thor and I developed the plan together, Allfather."

For the first time, Jane noticed the raven-haired Loki standing out amongst the counsel. He still had several guards strategically placed around him, a bit more subtly than they'd been when she'd first arrived, and she wondered how he'd lost them without anyone noticing when he'd been with her in the weapons vault.

_What had he done with all those thermo-modulators and electronic readers, anyway?_

Odin stiffened as Loki spoke and a new tension swept in and divided the room in one quick gust.

"Is that so," Odin said. His voice was thin and cold. Jane was reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son, that is, if the son hadn't been repentant and the father hadn't been welcoming.

"Loki tells the truth. Please, father, I am not blinded to what is good for Asgard and her people. Malekith is an enemy that must be defeated and the Aether must be safely contained once more. If we take our armies to Svartalfheim, we can do both with one strike and with less casualties for our people."

Jane was still pressed up alongside Frigga, and she swallowed quickly before glancing up at the queen briefly.

"Would that mean I'd be going with them?"

Frigga gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

There was a low hum through her bones. Her eyes burned and she blinked them open only to snap them shut again. A white brightness had blinded her and it was too painful to push through. Sutton let herself be still and just breath as she tried to work through murky thoughts.

She was lying down on her back, there was brilliant white all around her, and she felt mildly queasy. But, where was she, and what had happened just before this moment? There was an obvious gap in her memory and Sutton didn't like it. After awhile of just breathing rhythmically in and out, Sutton attempted to crack her eyes open once more. This time she proceeded slowly, allowing herself to adjust to the light in increments, and was finally rewarded with finally being able to see clearly.

The room she was in was almost entirely white, with splashes of a pale gray and glowing blue. What stood out the most, at first, was the streamlined emptiness of the space that spoke of a designer that valued minimalism and function over warmth and comfort. A large screen was set up right across from her and seemed to showing some sort of charts and what looked like a heart rate. When she shifted it caused a soft, shifting noise and she noted that she was not in her clothes, but rather an odd cotton-like gown.

There was a hiss as a panel in the wall to her left slid open and a woman walked in smiling pleasantly as if she wasn't at all surprised to see Sutton awake.

"Hello there, it's good to see you up!"  
Sutton couldn't help but blink owlishly at the woman as she tried to continue to process her situation. She'd barely moved since regaining consciousness and had yet to try and use her voice. When she opened her mouth she coughed instead of actually forming a coherent word, and the woman continued to smile at her compassionately.

"Let me get you some water, I'll be right back."  
While the woman walked to the other side of the room and accessed a sink, Sutton struggled to sit up straighter on the bed she was on. It was starting to dawn on her that perhaps she was in some high end hospital. The woman, who she was assuming was a nurse, was not wearing scrubs that she was familiar with ever seeing before, but she was still confused as to how she got here in the first place so perhaps it was just her.

The nurse came back over to the bed with a small cup of water and Sutton drank it all in one painful swallow.

"Thank you."  
She winced at how hoarse her voice sounded and handed the empty cup back to the woman.

"My name is Amira," she said, "and I'll be attending to you until you've been released. Can you tell me your name?"

Sutton licked her lips and swallowed, trying to soothe her throat before speaking again.

"Sutton Regan," she said. "How did I get here?"  
"A good samaritan brought you in," she said. "You're very lucky. The doctors were a bit worried for a moment. But you've been recovering well, and you have nothing to worry about now."

"Recovering? I don't understand. Have I-have I been here long?"  
The nurse dipped her head quickly in a slight nod.

"You have been unconscious for a week now. Your body needed some deep recovery treatments and internal restorations." She gestured to the screen behind her. "But as you can see you are doing much better."  
"A week?"

Sutton's breathing hitched as bits of memory resurfaced. She'd teleported again. She'd defied the Doctor and allowed herself to continue tearing through universes, and now she really had almost died. Her eyes grew hot again and she blinked furiously to keep her vision clear. The nurse let her have a moment to accept the information and Sutton eyed Amira's fitted dress.

"Where am I," she asked.

"St. Thomas' Hospital." At Sutton's continued blank face, Amira clarified further. "In London, right off Westminster. We're an old facility, with a lot of history, but as per regulation we have all the latest in healthcare, so you have no need to worry. Do you happen to remember anything about what happened to you before you lost consciousness?"  
Sutton looked away, twisted the thin sheets of the bed between twitching fingers, and the heart monitor bleeped quickly a few times.

"No; I don't."

"Does your family have a history of weak hearts or heart failure that they never had treated? We were unable to find any records on you; highly unusual. Did you abstain from the implant?"

"What? No, they don't- implant? I don't have an implant."

"Everything's fine," Amira soothed. "We were just unable to locate your medical history, and that hasn't happened in a long while."

Her tone implied that not being able to find someone in their systems was extremely unusual and she was expecting that Sutton might know why she was an anomaly, for some reason. Sutton still wasn't exactly sure where she was.

Sure she was in London, but _what_ London? A future London? She hoped it wasn't some sort of 1984 universe where Big Brother watched everyone and she'd be sentenced to death for nonconformity. The heart monitor bleeped a few more times shrilly before she took a deep breath.

"I don't know how I got here," she said uneasily. "I can't- I can't pay any hospital bills."

Amira tilted her head and squinted in confusion as she moved towards the screen. Sutton watched as she tapped a few spots and enlarged a graph as if the wall was a giant tablet.

"I don't understand," she said. "Pay? Why would you pay a bill? I'm sorry, is it an old earth joke?"

"Um, right, sorry. I guess I'm off my game at the moment."

Amira smiled at that and came back over to rest a hand briefly on her arm.

"I'll go let the doctor know you're awake and come back with a light meal for you. You must be starving."

Sutton was hungry, now that she mentioned it. She could have sworn she was just with the Doctor only moments ago, but the harsh biting in her empty stomach was a clue that it had indeed been longer. She nodded as the nurse left the room, the panel hissing open once more as she neared it and closing after she'd passed through.

Sutton let out a huffy breath once she was alone again. A week. She hadn't ever been out of it for an entire week! And the fact that the nurse had asked about weak hearts specifically made her especially uneasy.

_Your heart, your body, can't take the stress..._

Running her hands over her arms and torso, she checked for any sort of bruises or other injuries that she should be aware of. All her bones were intact and she didn't find any deep bruising lingering in her muscles, but there was a tube in her arm, hooked up to a bag of fluids that hung to her left. She dropped back onto the bed and rubbed roughly at her face as she felt the energy slowly seeping out of her. Just the little bit of speaking and moving she'd done had felt like a workout. Sutton didn't take that as a great sign.

Suddenly it struck her that she had none of her things, her bag or the watch, and she shot up on the bed. Her eyes frantically scanned the room again and she only relaxed when she saw her bag on a small table a bit behind her and to the right. The bed was soft and she sank back into it with a sigh.

"Sutton? Miss?"  
Sutton startled and woke as a voice called out through the peaceful fog she'd been able to wrap herself in. She blinked open her eyes and this time the white of the room didn't blind her.

"Hmm?"  
A new smiling face was peering down at her and Sutton pushed herself up with her elbows.

"I'm Dr. Stoyer, and I've been the practitioner overseeing you during your stay with us."

He was a clean shaven man with thick brows, dark skin, and swept back hair that was cut short. His initial impression was friendly and compassionate that spoke of decent bedside manner.

"As I'm sure Amira has told you, you had quite a close call and it's good to see you doing so much better. If you continue to recover at this pace, you should only be in here for a few more days."  
She nodded silently because she wasn't sure that there was anything she needed to say and she wasn't feeling up to speaking unnecessarily. The doctor smiled at her again reassuringly and glanced at the screen across from her.

"According to scans your heart rate has returned to normal and there's no organ failure. There doesn't appear to be any neurological damage, but I'd like to ask you a few questions just to make sure you haven't suffered any concussions."

She nodded again and waited for him to start.

"Alright; do you remember what happened to you?"

"No."

"Do you know where you are right now?"

"A hospital in London."  
"Good! And what about the last date you remember?"  
Sutton froze and the heart monitor bleeped again. Of all the questions to ask, that had to be the most dangerous. How was she supposed to answer that? She had no idea. And guessing was out the window as she didn't even know what world she was in yet.

"I-I'm not sure."

She tried to stall, but the doctor appeared to be the sort who would patiently wait.

"That's alright, just tell me the last date that comes to mind. It'll let us know if you have any form of amnesia that needs to be addressed, and a myriad of other things. But go ahead, take your time."

Sutton swallowed and tried to stall as long as she felt safe to.

"Um, the twenty-first?"

Dr. Stoyer's expression gave her no indication of whether her guess was concerning or not.

"Yes?"  
"The twenty-first of March?"

He folded his hands in his lap and prodded further.

"Alright, and the year?"  
Sutton wanted to tell him take her answer as it was or leave it, but being belligerent at this moment wouldn't work towards helping her out of here. She didn't have a choice but to give him her own year and hope for the best. Even though this hospital room wasn't like one she'd ever seen before.

But Europe had a different medical system than America did, didn't they? Perhaps they put more emphasis on style and upgrades.

"The year? The year, well, uh, it's twenty-fourteen?"  
Doctor Stoyer's face fell.


	20. Fires and Frying Pans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am totally open to any feedback! Feel free to leave a review if you feel so inclined! :)

Dr. Stoyer's concerned frown told Sutton that she had given a wildly wrong answer. The last thing she wanted at this point was to stand out anymore as an anomaly.

"I'm afraid that's a bit off-"

"I'm joking," Sutton interrupted. She forced out a laugh and prayed that he'd buy it. "Can you imagine? But really, I feel fine. Practically brand new! Have any of my family called at all though? We were just visiting the city on vacation and I'm sure they'll have noticed I'm missing by now."

Dr. Stoyer's face didn't relax into an easy grin like Sutton had hoped. He eyed her carefully and, taking note of the second-by-second scans the screen was displaying, clasped his hands together in front of him.

"I think it might be best if you stay with us a bit longer for further tests," he said. "But if you give me your family's information, I can comm them for you."

"Comm?"

Sutton knew that word from somewhere, it felt recent in her memory.

_Comm, comm, comm._

_Use the stupid, probably obvious clues you've been given_ , she chided herself. She battled through the remaining fuzz in her brain to think more clearly.

_Not 2014, comms, old earth, future tech screens._

Sutton felt a trepidatious suspicion slither into her list of ideas.

"Is there a hotel near, uh, near... it's like a big library? What was it- the K-something."

The doctor's face lit up in recognition then shifted to a contemplative disbelief and he nodded in understanding.

"You mean the Kelvin Memorial Archive. Of course, there are a few. Which one is your family staying in?"

Sutton stammered and shifted further on the bed. Somehow _the Holiday Inn_ felt like it wouldn't be an acceptable answer. Dr. Stoyer leaned forward to implore her.

"Sutton, if you are having lapses in memory, that is something I need to know about. I can't help you if you don't let me."

His concern was genuine she could tell, which was a nice change of pace given the doctors she'd had in the past, but his efforts would be in vain. She sighed and leaned back into her pillow.

"I can't remember," she relented.

She already felt drained again as he nodded and stood as if preemptively knowing her answer. He made a few adjustments to the charts on the holoscreen and then turned back to her.

"I'll have the nurses run a few additional tests to check for deep cranial injuries. But it's good to see that otherwise you're seeming well."  
He patted her on the hand briefly in reassurance and then gathered a small screen-like device before heading for the exit.

"It was nice meeting you, Miss Sutton. I'm sure we'll be able to get to the bottom of things."

Sutton nodded silently her head already heavy against the pillow as she watched him leave. Luckily for her, the nurse brought in food before she could fall back asleep.

When Sutton woke again the lights in the room had been dimmed and it was quiet. One of the nurses had left a cup of water by her bedside and Sutton guzzled the entire thing before coming back up for air. Her limbs still felt tender and weak, but nothing so severe that she had to be bed ridden. The holoscreen still emitted a pale blue glow as it continued to monitor her condition. One of the graphs sported a jagged line that dipped dangerously into a red zone before steadily climbing back up to a safer green, but it was what sat below the graph that captured her attention. She was scheduled for at least two further tests tomorrow. The doctor hadn't bought her story or her reassurances.

"No," she muttered to herself. She wasn't going to become a science oddity if she could help it. With her luck they'd insist that she be kept in some type of home.

Sutton threw back the bed sheets and wobbled into a standing position off the bed. After a few moments of readjusting, her legs held her up fine enough and she snagged her old clothes that were folded neatly next to her bag of belongings.

When she was dressed she took inventory of the bag and sighed when she found all her things still present and intact. She rubbed her thumb over the cool metal of the fob watch and bit her lip.

"I'm getting home. Just take one step at a time. I can do this."

The door opened automatically for her when she approached it, and the heartbeat monitor on the screen gave a shrill beep while shooting off a notification that the patient had left the boundaries of its scanning field.

Sutton walked quickly.

She was able to make it to a receptionist area before someone spotted her. A woman in a lab coat with too large of eyes was just tucking a tablet under her arm and rubbing at her neck when Sutton crossed her path.

"Wha- Miss, you can't be here. Visiting hours are over!"

Sutton clung to the strap of her handmade bag with both hands and nodded under the doctor's stern, unnerving gaze.

"Right, sorry. I was just trying to leave."

The doctor hummed lowly in her throat and then pointed down the hall.

"Down that hall to the right are the lifts. Take them down to the ground floor."

"Thank you."

Sutton trotted for the elevators as quickly as she was able to while still trying to appear casual. They couldn't force her to stay, right? Even if you really should stay in the hospital, you always had the option to check out. She had made it to the elevators when she heard an alerting chime followed by the clacking of the doctor's shoes and a slightly alarmed,

"Wait! Miss, you shouldn't be lea-!"

The elevator doors slid closed and Sutton breathed a sigh of relief as she descended to the ground floor.

From the ground floor, it was easy to slip out the front doors and into the night. Traversing the city was another story.

Although it was dark, twinkling lights from the surrounding skyscrapers lit up this sky while there was a steady, quiet hum from continuous traffic. Sutton came to a sudden stop as the realization of how quiet it truly was sank in. Cities were never this quiet. New York had never been this quiet. Traffic was always startling and loud no matter the hour, and yet that was not the case here. There were still the sounds of disturbed air and chatter, but it was deathly silent in comparison to what she was used to since moving to New York. Overhead vehicles zipped by, their blinking lights a warning that they were there, and vehicles hovered just above the ground below them. For a moment she hesitated. It was dark and she was in a city and in a world that she didn't really know. Television and movies hardly spent time focusing on earth in Star Trek when there were entire new planets to explore.

It left her at a slight disadvantage on how to correctly handle this situation. She wasn't exactly a Trekkie. Her mother had watched it off and on while she was growing up, but she didn't know the slang and she was still suspicious about the hospital not billing her. But she had no real choice but to continue moving forward and try to find a place that wasn't a hospital to sleep for the rest of the night. Whether it was her deer in the headlights look or the fact that she was waving one arm frantically at passing vehicles, Sutton finally got one to stop for her. As luck would have it, it was designated as a cab. She opened the back passenger side door and poked her head in nervously while the driver turned back to look at her.

"Where to?"

Sutton picked nervously at the door a moment before working up the nerve to ask what was probably a stupid question.

"Um, I don't have to, uh, pay right?"

The driver scrunched his face to one side as he eyed her wardrobe choices.

"Pay?"

"Alright, good."  
She climbed into the back of the vehicle and shut the door behind her.

"Y' one of those old earth enthusiasts?"

Sutton huffed quietly and jerked in her seat as the car belted her in automatically.

"Sure," she said. "I just need to get to the nearest hotel."

The man, whose name she didn't have the energy to learn, nodded and pulled back out onto the street.

She didn't have much time for dozing as there was a hotel only a few blocks from hospital and it felt oddly surreal to exit the cab while offering nothing but a thank you. But the man did drive away without any threats and she wasn't about to question a good thing when it actually happened to her.

The hotel was not ritzy, but it was nice, and it sported a different ambiance than Sutton was used to seeing in the hotels of her world. Generally smaller hotel chains tried to create a warm, homey atmosphere to draw people in. She was used to yellows and reds, wooden desks and old TVs. This place was all sleek architecture and gray counters with fashionable splashes of color and shimmering screens without wires.

The man at the desk didn't say a word as she took in the place before realizing how odd she must appear by standing at the entrance in a daze. Sutton pushed herself forward and stood before the receptionist and tried not to pick at the fraying threads on her bag too much.

"Um, hello, I'd like a room? Please?"  
"Of course." The clerk pulled up a menu on his screen and pinned her with one of those politely expectant looks. "Your name, miss?"  
"Name? Um, Sutton Regan. But I don't have to pay, right?"  
The man shot her a look and Sutton told herself to stop asking people about money.

"Identification code?"  
"I'm sorry, my what?"  
"So that I can locate you in the database."

Sutton clutched her bag tighter and scrunched her eyes closed momentarily. All she wanted was a bed away from prying eyes and the reminder that she might not have a lot of time left to live.

"I don't- I don't have a code. My…parents were, um, hippies. I was born off planet- please. I just need a place to crash. I just got here and-"

The man seemed startled by her confession and disturbed, probably due to the way her eyes were turning glassy.

"Now, miss, no tears are necessary! I'm sure we can work something out!"

They were able to work something out because the man was soft and her potential tears worked wonders. He wasn't supposed to check people in without proper identification, but as long as she promised to come work it all out with the morning crew she could stay in one of the open rooms. Sutton agreed.

The next morning she snuck out the back exit.

It wasn't as easy sailing after the hotel. Sutton found that in a moneyless society there was a lot of emphasis placed on identity. And that was a huge set back considering she didn't have one. Small cafes and such were much more lax however, no one on this earth went hungry, and the establishments gave her what she ordered without question. If she wanted a house or a job she'd need some background information and she had no idea how to get that. She was sure that she was going to end up on the news as the girl who didn't exist and it would all be downhill from there.

The most success she'd had in the last two days was acquiring two new outfits to try and better blend in to the population with. Even then, she'd had to guess the style. She'd gone for the space-iest looking pieces and tried to copy one of the mannequins. A lot of it, although cool, looked the same to her and the city was very much into silver and monochrome color palettes. One outfit she'd picked out had a splash of red as a focal point. It would be an odd outfit, even on Marvel earth, to wear in public. What with its black, long sleeve shirt and dark tights under a crimson dress. And it was not just a normal red dress. This one had brassy shoulder wings. It felt adequately future-space themed.

For the moment she was sitting outside a small café with a few crumbs left of a croissant and still sipping at a hot cappuccino. Just while she finished her drink, she let herself feel good. She forced herself to forget her situation, forget what the Doctor said, and forget about getting back home. Just for a moment, she was simply a stylish young woman on a Star Fleet inhabited earth.

Well, she hoped she was stylish.

Waves of people and aliens passed her by on busy sidewalks and she watched them as she savored her coffee. They all seemed so sharp, with purposeful strides and generally happy faces. Sutton wondered how a society that operated without cash was able to function. How did they motivate people to work? How did they convince some people to be garbage men? Did they just like it?

It all seemed too good to be true, a functioning utopia, and Sutton had to just accept that it was what it was. Perhaps it functioned simply because so many people in her universe believed that it did, that it could. She wasn't about to complain about it now. A no money society meant she got to eat her fill when she was hungry and she wasn't about to take that for granted.

Still, well ingrained habits had her feeling guilty about leaving the place without bestowing a tip on a hardworking waiter, so she jotted a complimentary note on a napkin and left that instead. She hoped it wasn't weird.

The differences between the London she had just left and this one were astounding. They might as well have not even been the same place. To be fair they technically weren't the same place at all, but there were so few similarities besides a preserved Parliament and Big Ben that it was disorienting. Navigating the city in daylight wasn't turning out any easier than navigating at night. This wasn't helped by the fact that she had no where to go. She walked in her gold metallic boots with no real destination and a scratchy bag filled with secret keepsakes. She felt anonymous; she felt lost. Growing up in a suburban neighborhood in a small town left her feeling anxious in large cities. New York had pushed her out of her comfort zone, and even then she coped by living in routine and having select locations she'd visit. But universe jumping and alternate city visiting was as opposite to that as she could imagine.

Sutton sucked in a breath and continued on the sidewalk with her head lowered and eyes focused on the clear bits of sidewalk directly in front of her. She wondered what it would be this time. Would she accidentally find herself amongst main characters, like she had with Harry Potter? Or would she have to actively seek them out, like she'd done with Star Wars?

To be honest she was starting to get suspicious of somehow being in the right place at the right time every single jump. Or did these universes actually revolve around all these "main characters"? Sutton eyed a random stranger in pity for a moment before hurrying to look away before she got caught.

She continued on down the sidewalk, just meandering and trying to waste time. She had no idea where anything was nor what time frame or verse she was in. Although the buildings and people looked particularly modern, so she felt safe in assuming this was the new original series. Chris Pine's face popped into her mind and she smirked absentmindedly as she strolled. The flow of people pushed her along and it was a bit difficult to avoid brushing shoulders with people while simultaneously contemplating life and fate. She ended up bumping shoulders a bit too roughly with a gray haired woman and she stumbled on the balls of her feet trying to remain balanced while the woman hardly swayed. She looked up and winced at the look the woman shot her as she continued on her way. Sutton resettled her gaze forward and attempted actually paying attention to where she walked. That's when she saw him.

Sutton froze in the middle of the sidewalk and her chest started shooting sharp pains out from where her heart sped up its beating. The people around her hardly even existed anymore as sweat accumulated on her brow and her hands went clammy. His name tumbled passed her lips before she could think to stop it.

"Khan."  
He wasn't even two hundred feet in front of her and walking in her direction. His height and stately march set him apart from the crowd; she had never seen someone with better posture.

Nor had she ever met someone with better hearing.

She watched in a disbelieving horror as his eyes snapped her hers as the final syllable drifted off her tongue and settled in his ears. A normal human wouldn't have heard that.

Fear is what urged her to move again. Sutton swiveled on her heel and began pushing through the sea of people. Her tongue was verging on going numb but she tried to push past her terror as well as she could manage. Maybe she could play it off.

"Khan..'t believe zis. Ridiculooz."

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she walked faster.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap._

Had he truly heard her? Was he following her? She was afraid to look. Maybe he wasn't following her but if she looked back he'd noticed and _then_ he'd start following her. At least, she hoped, it would be easy to lose herself in the crowd of people. She was still short and generally got swallowed up when in the middle of large groups.

_Just act casual, don't flip out. Blend in._

She erroneously glanced back over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of shiny black hair over the sea of people. Sutton stretched her legs out a little farther between steps. She was lost as to where to find safety in a world, on an earth, in a city that she didn't really know. Did they have embassies still? Didn't earth just become one... country on the show? Or something?

Star Fleet! Maybe if she found Star Fleet she could slip inside. No way Khan would give himself up like that. But it was difficult to ask for directions while not breaking her stride. Sutton ducked down lower, hunching her shoulders, and cut quickly to the right to join a mass of beings crossing the street. All the while her eyes darted up, down, and over trying to find a street sign or holo-billboard or something that might lead her in the right direction. But the streets of London were oddly advertisement free and some of the signs flashed too quickly for her to read with her quick pace.

There was a short yelp to the left and a couple people went tumbling into each other, one of them knocked into her and sent her skittering for balance into an open alleyway.

"Sorry, miss! Oi, watch where yer going, mate!"

Sutton paused a moment while leaning a hand agains the cool metal side of a building and tried to catch her breath. Even fast-walking was tiring her out more than it should have.

The light from the alley opening dimmed and her mouth was violently forced closed. Sutton jerked in surprise, throwing an elbow back instinctively. It did nothing to alleviate the pressure on her jaw and only succeeded in having her arm pinned behind her back. It was easy enough for her to be forced away from the safety of the crowded streets in that position; especially since her heart was palpitating and her limbs were noodles. She tried planting her feet deep into the pavement, but it was pushed stumbling forward with nothing more than a gentle nudge.

She was continuously maneuvered down the alleyway and into much slower areas of the city, all the while amazingly out of sight, and Sutton reached up with her free hand to pray at the vice around her mouth in a desperate last attempt. The arm under her grip might as well have been steel. Even more unnerving was the complete silence at her back. Sutton had no delusions as to who it was forcing her along. For the first time in her life she wished she was just the victim of a random mugging.

_Except there's no reason for theft in a moneyless world, genius._

Eventually Sutton found that he had toted her some several blocks away into a smaller neighborhood hidden in the shadows that the tall skyscrapers cast. Here the buildings were less sleek, more historic, with a few actually still retaining their brick exteriors that seemed antiquated in this setting.

He dragged her over and into one of those buildings.

Sutton renewed her struggle as they approached the old, wooden front door. Her stomach rolled and curdled at the thought of being out of sight of any witnesses and alone with a genetically engineered madman. A few muffled yelps slipped passed his fingers and Sutton attempted going lax in his hold and then tried striking out at his shins with her feet. All efforts proved to be ineffective. He was able to open the door, shove her inside, and close it all with only minimal effort. Every muscle in her body went taut as the door closed and the room went dark. His deep, baritone voice curled around her and Sutton felt another adrenaline rush shoot down her legs.

"I would introduce myself, but it appears you already know my name. Who are you?"

Her heart pumped double time; she couldn't feel her fingers. Her prolonged silence was met with his hand moving to her throat and a thumb pressed against the artery in her neck just enough to serve as a warning.

"I can snap your neck with just a flick of my wrist and be done with you, so I suggest you answer my question."

"Sutton! My name is Sutton; I'm no one!"

"Do you work for Marcus?"  
Sutton clutched at her bag and the wall to her back, trying to put as much space between her and the augment as he would allow.

"Work for-what? No! I don't work for Marcus, I don't work for anyone."

He hummed in disbelieve and Sutton felt trapped by the calculating look in his sharp blue eyes. His thumb pressed more firmly into her neck.

"I find that hard to believe considering he is one of the only people who know my true identity. And it was obvious that you recognized me on sight. If you truly do not work for Marcus, then I suggest you explain how you know me, and rapidly for your own sake."

Her mind was threatening to go on the fritz, because this man who looked and sounded like Benedict Cumberbatch, but most certainly wasn't, was talking to her and her mind was flipping the same switch that it had for Loki.

_They look like the person she found attractive. They were not that person. They were scaring her. All good feelings associated with them disappeared._

So she tried to shove down all the fear and confusion and focus her thinking so that she wouldn't have spent all that time in the hospital only to die now. She needed to become decent at lying and fast.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing she gasped out. The pressure on her neck was uncomfortable and only a mild hindrance, but she needed a moment to stall. "I'm just a-a history nerd, ok? I was reading a history book on the Eugenics Wars. They-they had a blurry picture and you looked like him. I don't know anything, please just let me go. I won't say a word."

Khan's gaze darted over her body and his eyes narrowed marginally.

"A history book," he asked.

Sutton started to nod, but then felt the pressure hadn't alleviated at all and stopped.

"Yes, yes, they had a chapter on the Wars. I just saw a short documentary on television and got curious and read up on it. Please."

Khan released the pressure on her neck marginally and Sutton tried to blink away the dizziness that threatened to sweep over her.

"And what did this book have to say about me?"

Sutton eagerly spewed the bits of information she knew and hoped it would be enough to convince him.

"The war took place in the 90's, scientist tried to create soldiers that would ensure peace, but it backfired on them. Augments took over, and you, you ruled over...over Asia!"

His next question was random and threw Sutton off kilter and left her clammy.

"What year did you graduate?"

Her blood ran cold as her brain sputtered a bit. Year? What-what year was it now? Math, she had to do math without paper or a calculator.

"What year? What-what does that matter? It's not even specific. Graduate what? High school, college? I don't understand."

Khan hummed again in the back of his throat and studied her closer than she felt comfortable with.

"Interesting."

Sutton let go of the wall and started trying to pull his hand away from her neck fruitlessly.

"What? What's interesting? I'm not interesting!"  
"Well, of course you are," Khan insisted. "You recognized me from a distance, you're dressed like an elderly woman, and you're using archaic language that I haven't heard since I ruled part of the earth."

Her face went cold and her pulse threatened to burst from the artery he still had lightly pressed. She could feel her tongue almost going numb again as the realization that she had severely messed up sank in.

"No, I just like old earth things. I swear."

He eyed her again and Sutton set her gaze just passed his left cheekbone, unable to hold his icy stare.

"Alright," he finally said. "Tell me one thing and I will let you go right now."

Her eyes darted back to his as hope simmered tentatively in her belly.

"What is today's date?"


	21. Mistakes Were Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yikes.

Sutton's mind raced. He wanted her to tell him the date? That was bad; really bad. She played through several different scenarios where she explained how she'd been in a coma for awhile and just woken up, told him she was from a hippie colony off planet that didn't believe in the concept of time, or to refuse to answer all together such an idiotic question. None felt like they'd go over well. And, as the pressure of his thumb on her neck continued, Sutton realized that he had not just placed it there to intimidate. The noticeable thrumming of her anxious heartbeat reminded her of lie detectors, and how they watched for a spike in heart rate to weed out untruths. But she couldn't pause in stunned silence for too long because that was a dead giveaway as well. Any other citizen would have spit the answer at him and took off running to freedom by now.

"That's a dumb question," she said slowly.

"And yet such a simple one, even for your feeble human mind. Answer it."

How did they even say the date in Star Trek? Wasn't it like, 'Star Date: insert random numbers here'? Did only Star Fleet do that, like how the military told the time weirdly? Sutton swallowed thickly.

"The date, the date is definitely," she hurriedly considered the weather and stuck to her previous guess, "March, uh, fifteenth. But I've been in the hospital lately so don't-"

His thumb pressed deeper into her neck than it had before and Sutton was flailing and gasping at the sharp pain and dizziness it caused.

"Give me the year, while you still can."

She'd watched the movie in New York, she'd gone to see it with Avery and Maggie and she knew that they'd flashed the year on the screen in the beginning. What had it said?

"Twenty! Twenty-two...twenty-two," she winced, gritting her teeth slightly, and made a wild guess. "Twenty-two thirty-eight!"

His thumb left her neck and his hand gripped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him as he took a moment to truly study her eyes. Whatever he thought he saw in them caused him to raise one perfect brow in intrigue and Sutton bit down on her tongue.

"Not even close."

For a brief moment Sutton felt like she no longer inhabited her own body. It was like she was floating above herself, staring down at the pale frightened girl below in a distant pity. She couldn't remember a time that she had ever felt this hollow. Not even with Loki. Because at least when Loki had been trying to take advantage she'd had the Avengers around to give her hope. At least she hadn't been alone. She was pulled back into her own body, into the present, when she heard herself speak.

"Are you going to kill me?"

He wasn't touching her anymore but she had no more freedom than before. Still, she tried to straighten out her spine and loosen her shoulders. The idea of him killing her right here in this empty house where she was guaranteed to become a cold case had her chin quivering. But most of all she was angry with herself. She was the one who hadn't made it a point to learn the actual date, to not pay attention to where the young girls were shopping; she was the one who'd carelessly opened her big, fat mouth. Again.

"B-because if you do, you should know that-that you'll be just as much of a monster as you think humans are."

The light in his eyes flashed briefly and Sutton, still tightly wound and hyper alert, noticed his lips twitch fractionally.  
"I haven't decided."

Sutton shifted and eyed the exit.

"Any chance I can convince you to forget all this?"  
"None."  
Irritation and desperation flashed across her face before she had a chance to conceal it. She was still gripping her bag for dear life, and she tried to transfer all the tension into her hand instead of wearing it out where he could see it. It was a delicate line she was treading, she understood that. One wrong word and he'd kill her, one wrong word and he'd keep her, and very few words that would convince him to let her go.

"How about-"

"Come."

His hand wrapped completely around her bicep and he was pulling her again, deeper into the house and up a set of bare, questionable stairs. Sutton was stumbling over her feet, wishing she'd snagged a Time Turner instead of a hair tie so that she could make it so this entire encounter never happened. The stairwell was dark, and by the time Khan had dragged her to the top of it she heard the sound of their footsteps change from the dull _thud_ of falling on wood to the high _ting_ of hitting metal. She watched as he entered a code into a panel on the wall that opened a door into an upgraded room.

Where the outside of the house was old and dingy, this room had been outfitted with more up to date technology. It was dim, but lit well enough that she could make everything out thanks to a hazy blue light that spilled over everything in the room. Some scientific looking instruments sat on a table to the side of the room and Sutton recognized the space. This was the scene where he'd prepared a vial of his own blood for the sick girl.

He pushed her over near the science equipment and shoved her down into a chair.

"Sit."  
Sutton complied because her legs were weak and she didn't feel daring enough to explore her boundaries with him.

_Do what he says, be boring, be forgettable._

He left her in the chair and moved around the table to collect a few tools. When he re-approached her, he was holding a device that reminded her of a hypo-spray gun. She shivered as he stopped in front of her and held out a pale hand, palm up.

"Give me your arm."

Sutton hesitated, looked at his hand and then back to his face which was set in stone, and lifted an arm without enthusiasm. He put the device against her skin and there was a pinch as it hissed and Sutton watched as some of her blood leaked into a small vial. Khan took the vial, deposited a few drops of her blood onto a tray on another computer-like device and sat down to process the data. Sutton pulled her arm back close to her body and rubbed at the place he'd stuck her. She glared at him as she curled further into herself and the chair and felt a foreboding about what he was up to. The screen on the wall lit up with new numbers and charts and she hardly saw Khan's head so much as swivel as he took all the information in.

The chair she was sitting in was actually behind him. Sutton adjusted silently and placed one boot firmly on the floor.

"Don't."

She froze where she sat and huffed quietly in disappointment. She at least had to have tried, just to say that she gave it a go. The screen in front of Khan flashed through a series of numbers rapidly, as if it were scanning through something, and then settled on one serial number that it announced as the "closest biological match". Her toes curled in her shoes as he opened a new screen and enlarged an image in the upper lefthand corner. Sutton choked on her spit.

Khan stood, took a step forward to study the image, and then turned back to her with renewed interest.

"This is the closest biological match to your DNA sequence in all of Star Fleet's database. Does she look familiar?"

The woman in the picture was not Sutton Regan, because Sutton did not have pale green skin and her hair was light brown without red in it. But, with a little help from a makeup artist it could have been her. Sutton's mouth hinged open and closed as she blinked in shock.

"Wh-"

"Dashki Anota, half Orion, married to a Star Fleet officer, and has two children. Not you? Odd. Your DNA is almost a exact match, disregarding the Orion blood."

Sutton was having trouble looking away from what looked like an altered picture of herself. It had never occurred to her, she'd never thought... Sure there were duplicates of actors in the other universes, but her? Did everyone have a copy in other worlds?

"Even more peculiar is the sequencing beneath your DNA, your molecules function at an unusual rate. You're different than these humans, different from even myself."  
Sutton stiffened and her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"So you know about it. Wonderful; explain."

_Bad, bad, super-very bad._

Every cell in her body was screaming at her to run for her life or lie through her teeth. She didn't unfurl herself from her hunched position as she stared up at Khan uneasily through her lashes. There was no way she could tell him the truth. He already knew far too much. Any more information, if he knew what she could do, and this world would be done for.

"I don't understand it," she told him honestly. "Everything you just said makes no sens-"

He was suddenly in her face, nose only inches away and hands wrapped firmly around the armrests of her chair trapping her in place.

"Despite what you might think, I am on a delicate schedule. I have neither the time nor the patience for your games. If you do not answer my questions with complete honestly, and rapidly, I have no qualms with either simply killing your or prying what information I want from you by whatever means you force me to."

Sutton did not doubt a word he said. Another sharp pain shot through her heart and her mind began to swim. She had lived alongside the Avengers. They had considered her as one of their own, or at least kindly humored her with the idea. She had to rise up to their level. She had to be brave. And she had to find a way out that didn't involve telling the truth.

If only she could believe Khan weak or stupid. The thought crossed her mind, however brief of a flicker it was. But it would be near impossible for her to truly believe his character was either of those traits. And even if she could convince herself, there was no way anyone in her universe would support that belief. There'd be nothing for her to tap into and she'd have to change so much about this world for it to fit. She'd kill herself just trying.

But what else was there?

Khan's hand was back on her throat and Sutton's gaze snapped to the picture of the woman who wasn't her. That woman was a real person here. She was a character. Sutton was no one, but she was here. She was in this world and interacting with people and part of it now.

 _She could be a character._ _She was nothing so she could be anything. Couldn't she?_

It was her only real option at the moment, given that Khan seemed to be truly losing his patience with her silence. But she had to be as strong as him, she had to be able to fight back.

Since moving universes to Marvel, she hadn't quite been engaged in the online community as she had been before, but she did remember one thing: original characters, ocs. There were bound to be augment ocs after all the fangirls fawned over Benedict Cumberbatch and his arm muscles. She was even from the same general "time" as Khan originally was, perhaps that would help.

_She was whatever she wanted to be. She was an oc, a rogue augment, equal to him. She was strong, strong, strong._

Perhaps it was her desperation to believe, maybe the universe was giving her a break, or maybe there were just tons of people willing to buy into more-than-one-augment stories. Sutton felt a rush fall over her. Her muscles lost their jello-like quiver and felt sturdy for the first time in awhile, her lungs held more air, and her eyes could see sharper than she ever thought possible. A new righteous rage burned out all other emotions that had been threatening to consume her. Her eyes snapped back to Khan's with a new hardness and he frowned as he continued to watch her.

Her strike was quick and unexpected given that she was human and Khan was not prepared for it. With her left hand she grabbed the hand he had on her throat and held him in place as she swung out with her right hand to land a blow right on his nose. Blood instantly began to gush and Khan cried out in an enraged surprise. But she didn't slow. While he was still stunned and fairly immobile she lashed out with a kick that sent him flying across the room and into the opposite wall.

Her muscles burned.

Sutton leapt from the chair without waiting to see if he'd get back up. She'd given herself a very small window of opportunity and she'd be even more of an idiot than she was to waste it. The door was close because the room was small, but Sutton took three long strides, determined and panting from the excitement, before her legs just stopped working and she dropped to the ground. Her heart squeezed in her chest and she could hardly breathe. She wheezed desperately twice and something hot ran down her nose and over her chin. She could already hear Khan moving again, rough and angry, and she tried to pull herself closer to the door.

_No, no, no! She couldn't fail now!_

Fat drops of blood landed on the polished floor near her face as she made minimal progress. Khan gripped the back of her dress and yanked her off the floor in one violent motion. She screamed as she arched through the air and landed limply back in the seat she'd just left. She was the one left panting and wheezing now; her chest was too tight and there was a sudden throbbing headache around her temples. Khan stared down at her with an already healed nose, mussed hair, and bright, bright eyes.

"Aren't you becoming more of a puzzle by the moment."

Sutton coughed twice and tried to push Khan away from her, but she was weaker than before and his stance didn't even shift slightly. He only seemed to catalogue the failed effort with a new eye, as if seeing her as an entirely new creature now. She gripped the strings of her bag tighter and prayed that the fob watch hadn't broken. She prayed for a way out.

But for the moment she was trapped, caged in a room with the worst person possible in this universe and a roiling tension that was more than likely to break in his favor.

_No. Be strong. Don't give him anything._

Sutton set her jaw and tried to channel a bravado that she didn't feel. Khan looked almost pleased as he ran his hand under her jaw and tilted her head up higher.

"You're not quite human, are you? You're a little bit something else. And you know so much more than you're willing to say."

He paused briefly as if expecting her to deny or fib, but Sutton clamped her lips shut and refused to indulge him.

"It must be so isolating," he said slyly, "to not belong."

Sutton jerked her head out of his hand, because he let her, and clicked her tongue angrily. A copper tang splashed between her lips.

"There is a burden you carry," he continued, "that much is obvious. You have no skill in concealing your emotions. Do you think yourself noble for suffering for it?"

Sutton thought that it was just the right thing to do and that a couple universes were probably still doing ok because she didn't openly flaunt her knowledge, but she didn't say that aloud. She kept quiet and still because her fingers were trembling and she was at a loss with how to proceed next.

"You're not like the other humans. I can see that you're better."  
"I'm not."

"Do you seek to protect them? You shouldn't. No matter how high they think they've risen, humanity hasn't changed. They never will."

"Not all humans are like- there are good, innocent people in this world."

Khan leveled his gaze at her, turned back to the hypo-spray and removed the tainted vial that held her blood.

"You will tell me what I want to know."

"I will not."

He clicked a new vial into place. This one was already full.

"Nothing?"  
Sutton's nostrils flared as she refused to look at him. The cool surface of the hypo-spray met her arm. Sutton felt a pinch.

[][][][]

Khan left while Sutton fretted about what he injected into her bloodstream. In half an hour all that had happened was her skin started itching and her eyes felt dry; perhaps if she could be merely irritated into talking he would be making progress.

After scrubbing off as much blood from her face as she could with her sleeve, she forced herself to get out of the chair to stagger about the room and try looking for an escape route. It was a small room the a makeshift lab taking up most of the space. There was a device in one corner that reminded her of an odd microwave or perhaps a doorless oven, and across from that a small cot with the sheets pristinely folded. There wasn't much else to look at, and the front door was the only door in or out. It wouldn't open regardless of her efforts and the room had no windows to speak of. The one time she attempted to just believe the door would open created such a splitting pain in her head that she didn't dare try again. She resigned herself to sitting in the chair and trying to guess what the different substances in the various beakers were. If she couldn't escape and she couldn't overpower him, perhaps she could poison him back. Despite still feeling like her legs were boneless, she dug through a few cabinets on the science side of the room. There were so many beakers and liquids and colored powders at her fingertips. But she didn't know what anything was or how chemicals interacted with each other and her mind couldn't focus as it refused to stop replaying how she'd totally bit it on the floor and exposed herself to him further.

_Dead. She was dead this time for sure._

"I shouldn't have picked the red dress," she said to herself. "It's always the red ones in this universe. I knew that."

Sutton scratched at her arms more aggressively as the irritation under her skin grew. When she pulled up on her sleeves the only thing she noticed was her skin had reddened from her own efforts to alleviate the infernal itching. Her breathing grew marginally easier the longer Khan was gone, until her heart had almost returned to a normal rate. There was nothing she could do to help herself at the moment. The room was a high tech prison and she was a prized captive.

No one would ever know she was missing because no one knew she existed. It literally couldn't be any easier for him. And she'd delivered herself right into his hands. Why had she even uttered his name?

She knew why. The marginal safety she'd felt in her previous universe journeys had caused her to be careless. The realization dawned on her the longer she replayed the scene over and over in her mind. There had been close calls, yes, with the Doctor coming closest, but to a certain degree she still saw them as characters. They were movies and stories and she was neither of those things. How could she be touchable to a fictional person?

_Tony had told her. How many times had he said it?_

These people were as real as she was. It didn't matter if she knew their backstories or had seen them on a screen. Their lives began and continued whether she was involved with them or not. They were corporeal and real and thought for themselves.

They could touch her and they could hurt her if they chose.

Why had it taken Khan's presence for that to fully sink in?

"I am in danger," she said to herself. The words were loud as they rippled through the room. They felt disconnected and unreal despite her revelation.

It felt like a band had tightened around her chest and her eyes burned with the beginnings of exhaustion as she crawled over to a dim corner and wedged herself between two sleek, silver cabinets.

"I am actually in real danger."

The words still felt hollow.

[][]

The hissing of compressed air startled her awake. Sutton jerked into a seated position as the sound of boots on floor slowly made their way into the room. She rubbed at her still sore eyes, scratched at her legs, and glared up at an expressionless Khan. His eyes darted over her body and Sutton couldn't tell if he was looking for something or expecting her to be in hysterics over what amounted to an affliction of poison ivy and mild pink eye.

"I'm still not saying anything to you."

"The most fascinating part is that you continue to speak volumes without having to open your mouth."

Sutton stood and edged further away, positioning herself around a table placed between them, and tried to decipher what he said.

"I injected you with my own modified strain of Andorian shingles. It should have been more concentrated and at least three times more painful than the original."

_"..._ _with a case of_ __Andorian shingles_ _ _, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are_ __bleeding_ _ _."_

Sutton's hand snapped up to feel around her eyes for blood, but they came away clean.

"Yes, very good; as you can see you are not bleeding from your eyes. Nor is your skin covered in an extremely painful, seeping rash. I would say you had an immunity built up, but you haven't received any vaccinations relevant to this age."

Sutton's hand left her face and dropped to her side as she maintained her composure. She'd been able to handle everything so far. Perhaps this was as bad as it got. Perhaps lying to herself would help her.

"So, where do you come from? It isn't from the alternate timeline because you would have known the date and at least had some sense of appropriate fashion. Especially since the event that caused the divergence happened a year ago."

"I don't know what-"

"Do. Not."

His voice had dropped to so low an octave and he had enunciated so forcefully that it shook Sutton to her core. Khan's gaze lost any sliver of lightness to adopt a sharp, intolerant glare. He strode forward with long, quick paces and loomed over her before she could so much as scramble for cover.

"Do not confuse me with the mindless humans that overpopulate this planet. I am more. I am better. And I will peel back every layer of you until you have no secret left to hold dear."

A feeling of weightlessness washed over her and she saw black spots for a moment. He wasn't lying. The words to save herself were pressing on the tip of her tongue, but would they be worth it? There was not a situation where she could be happily walking out the front door on her own.

"You would do that anyway."

Khan's lips twitched upwards and Sutton hated him.

"True. Now, shall we begin?"

Sutton's breath hitched, she bit her lip and dug her nails into her palms. This was it, her last moment to stop him from whatever was to come. The power was in her hands to save herself.

But the people here were real. Kirk, Spock, Bones, the Orion girl who wasn't her who had children to care for; they were all real.

Sutton let out a breath and blinked rapidly against still hot eyes.

"This isn't about me."

[][][]

She kept her mouth tightly sealed for another hour before it eventually cracked and she spilled out all of her priceless truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would honestly love feedback for this chapter! I went back over it more than a few times trying to figure out how I wanted to word everything and what to add in. It would help so much to know what worked for you and what didn't! :)


	22. Black and Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took longer than I planned! It's almost 1,000 words longer than my usual, so hopefully that helps make up for it! I've been a bit busy with doing some art commissions and beta reading for someone, so that's part of the reason.

Svartalfheim was barren and dark. The planet was nothing more than fine black sand that misted up and coated everything every time the wind gusted. Jane stood with Thor warm at her back, momentarily dazed by the fact that she was seeing yet another new planet undiscovered by human telescopes; another new planet that had enough gravitational pull and atmosphere for her to breathe.

Thor pulled her hand into his and smiled grimly down at her when she looked up.

"Come," he said. "I do not wish for you to be easily seen when they arrive."

A chill ran down Jane's spine at the reminder of why they were on this planet at all. Odin had finally relented to Thor's plan to take the battle off of Asgard and to the Dark Elves. She understood that she was here as bait to lure the enemy in. She also knew that she didn't have much time left on any planet if they didn't soon remove the Aether.

There was a legion of Asgardian soldiers behind them, all lined up and ready for the fight to come and it only solidified to Jane that this was real and she was currently wasting away in the middle of a space war.

How ironic that she had been dying to reach the stars her entire life, and now she was dying amongst them.

Odin himself had left Asgard to fight with them against the Dark Elves. Having to loiter around Odin, despite having Thor as a buffer, was awkward enough, having Loki right behind them was even worse. Jane was not sure it was wise to have practically the entire royal family in one place, especially on a battle ground, but she wasn't really in the frame of mind to question Thor about it. Her head felt fuzzy as it was, and there was a darkness creeping around the edges of her vision that warned her that the Aether might engulf her at any moment.

She followed Thor's prompting as he directed her away from the front lines and further into the safety of the soldiers. Jane wished, not for the first time, that she and Thor would someday have the opportunity to spend time together that didn't involve having to save the world from some diabolical force. Talk of strategy and ploys were background noise as Odin and his sons finalized plans with their army captains.

It was then that Jane felt it. The Aether in her blood was buzzing and the sounds of warfare were suddenly loud and frantic around her.

"Jane!" She found that before he had finished saying her name Thor was wrapped around her and moving her back away from the heat of battle. She felt slightly dazed as she was moved to a location less bombarded with enemy fire. A flash of green and gold let her know Loki was nearby before he even spoke.

"If you want any chance of saving her, Malekith has to remove the Aether. He won't harm her until he has it."

Thor scowled.

"He will not harm her at all."

Loki held up his hands and rolled his eyes.

"Of course. But we must act quickly."

Asgard's army was holding its own decently against the Dark Elves. They were marginally more prepared for the gunfire thanks to the warning and their own research, but the black hole grenades were still brutally effective.

Thor and Loki maneuvered with her around the main battle ground and Jane allowed herself to be pulled along, trusting Thor and whatever his plan was. The Aether in her veins hummed so loudly that Jane wondered that no one else could hear it.

All around them the battle raged on. The elves must have seen the shine of Asgardian helmets before even cresting their first ridge. Thor and Loki both fought as they moved along the outskirts of the main battleground. Thor struck any who dared come too close with Mjölnir with such force that Jane herself grimaced. Loki held his own as well, though he reminded Jane of a serpent as he moved, lithe with a deadly snap when an opponent left themselves open.

Jane still didn't know where they were going.

And then a pale figure stood out amongst the dark landscape around them. The Aether hummed louder within her until she could practically feel it crawling through her veins like thousands of insects. Loki's voice rose from the din of battle.

"There he is."

Thor let go of her, and Jane watched as he swung his hammer at his side, eyes like ice.

"Not for long."

He was about to release his weapon when Loki moved. Deft, quick, and almost too horrid for Jane to process; Loki shot forward, twisting under Thor's arm, and sliced his hand cleanly off.

She screamed. Thor fell.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

She could hardly look up from the floor where she still laid. She didn't want to see him; didn't want to have to look into his eyes and know that he knew. She didn't want to have to admit she was the reason why he did.

Her limbs hurt; she couldn't move a couple of her fingers without invoking a white hot pain. She probably couldn't have gotten up even if she wanted to. He was still in the room, somewhere in the shadows. Sutton could sense his presence as though it had been seared into her very nervous system. Perhaps he was looking at her, maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was still violating her personal belongings and tinkering with the fob watch. Sutton could only focus on taking individual breaths.

Her skin felt dirty and sticky with sweat and tears. Her hands were dirty. Nails were chipped with skin cells embedded down to the quick; some dried blood was splattered across her palms. She couldn't look at her hands either. Hands that had fought, then begged and pleaded, and then lifted in confession.

She was horrid. A traitor. Weak.

Those thoughts were too barbed, so she pushed them back. Instead she focused on her breathing and counted the seconds between the pulses of pain that were steadier than her skittering heart.

"I have scoffed at the human's ideas of fate and destiny, but you delivered yourself to me so conveniently, now I am forced to wonder." Sutton flinched at his voice, bit her lip hard, breathed through her teeth and grimaced. His footsteps were sirens as he stepped across the barren floor and the sound completely filled her. The shifting of fabrics echoed just as loud and she felt his bulk hover over her as she lay frozen. Long, pale fingers, _they were so clean_ , brushed back some tangled hair from her face. She still refused to move to face him.

"You should know that I am not without mercy. It is clear that to those you cherish most deeply, you are loyal to a fault. I can respect such commitment and perseverance; but you were wise to confess everything before I was forced to more dire extremes." He paused a moment and Sutton knew, after everything that she'd experienced, that it was for a reason. Everything was for a reason with him.

"Had I been nothing but human, perhaps you might have succeeded."

She remained silent as shame continued to flood her and his presence lifted. There was the sound like a puff from an air compressor, and then another hypo-spray at her arm. Another pinch. And after minutes, nothing. Khan hummed in the back of his throat.

"Not a completely unexpected response," he said. "You're chemistry is unresponsive to my blood as well. The old way then; sit up."

Sutton pulled her knees up closer to her chest and refused to move, but then his silence turned thick and expectant and her heart was starting to thump out of rhythm again. She pushed herself up with her elbows, gathered herself for a minute or two, and then shifted around as if about to face a rabid dog that had broken off its chain. She didn't look up from the floor.

His form shifted across the room and when it settled back in front of her he had something with him.

"Give me your hand." Sutton glanced down at her right hand which she was cradling near her chest, at the fingers on her hand that weren't sitting quite right. She didn't want to give him her hand. He was the one who'd done it, he shouldn't be the one to fix it. What if it was a trick? But his form was statue still and unmoving. The hand resting on his thigh tapped one finger impatiently. Sutton carefully raised her hand up towards him.

"This will hurt."

Sutton let out a sudden, gasping cry as he deftly straightened the fingers on her hand and began taping them together. She grimaced and panted as he continued to ensure that her fingers were immobile, but there was a flash of grim relief that the were back to looking as they ought to be. Khan's voice broke once more through the quiet.

"You do understand that you are never getting back to this other earth."

A sharp pain ran through her limbs and Sutton flashed a glare up at him before quickly looking away again.

"Even if I were inclined to let a person of your abilities and knowledge free, you physically would be unable to make the journey while keeping yourself alive. Your heart is steadily failing, even now. Anymore strain like what you've endured and it will give out. And now that you've become an accomplice to me, there's no way Star Fleet will let you live freely. I'm the only hope you have."

He was gently caressing the hand he'd just taped as he spoke lowly to her and Sutton didn't like it. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and worked to wet her mouth enough so that she could speak. Her voice was raspy and raw when she did.

"Don't touch me."

He merely lifted a brow as if unimpressed with her statement. "Lick your wounds now while you can. We'll be moving soon enough."

The words sank in and her stomach curdled. She could feel herself sinking further into a situation that hadn't been in her control since she uttered his name, helpless to grasp any of these shifting pieces for her own advantage.

"Where?"

The look he shot her was cold, calculating, and wholly superior.

"Wherever I take you." Sutton was still hunched on the floor, avoiding putting weight on all her limbs, as Khan reached the door to leave. He paused at the threshold and looked back at her stoically.

"If you are lying about my crew," there was an inflection in his voice that almost made her cringe; it was a rage coated in a desperate hope, and she'd given it to him, "I will make this experience seem like a dream in comparison to what follows."

An electric chill ran through her, clogging her throat and stealing her breath for a moment before she swallowed it back down.

"I'm not." She felt dirtier as the words left her lips.

What Khan left to do, Sutton didn't know. She stayed on her spot on the floor and tried not to think. The fingers on her right hand were a mottled red and significantly swollen. There were several extremely tender spots on her legs, and sitting on her knees wasn't helping her any. Every breath she took brought a sharp pain and she debated with herself for a minute or two if she wanted to look at the damage done at all. Eventually she worked the fingers on her left hand under the hem of her dress and slowly worked to pull the fabric up until it bunched round her ribs. Sutton took a few calming breathes and then chanced a look at he stomach. There was a large, dark bruise that wrapped around her abdomen and was practically black. Sutton pulled her dress back down while wincing and decided she didn't want to see anymore.

She felt wretched, she felt empty. This had been the true danger of her traveling like this all along. Her? She was just one person.

_"…billions and billions of lives…."_

It physically pained her to think about. She had been unforgivably selfish. But it had felt so _right_ , so _just._ She deserved to get back home.

Perhaps she put too much stock in gut feelings. They didn't always turn out right. Sometimes they led you places you shouldn't have gone. And this mess, this mess she'd created would only get worse. She'd given the cheat sheet of this situation to the one man who neither deserved it nor needed it. She'd given it to a man who already was excellent at the game and knew how to use the pieces.

The longer she sat staring unseeingly out into the room, the more the hollow ache in her chest grew until the idea of merely lifting her arm seemed like an impossible task.

_"What kind of...superheroes would we be if we did that?"_

_"You can't let him do that. You can't let him control you."_

From her downward drifting thoughts, a distant memory pushed through to the forefront of her mind.

She had been in fifth grade. Children were starting cliques and learning how to be catty. Sutton wasn't immune to the desire to fit in. She betrayed a friend, said words that she didn't mean, and hurt someone she cared about. In the fallout, she realized that it wasn't worth it and that maybe one good friend was worth more than five awful ones. Her mother was there to console her through her teary-eyed confession and offer her words of wisdom.

"Hey, you messed up. But guess what? I mess up too. Everyone does. The question isn't how badly you messed up, but what are you going to do about it now? And I know you; you're going to do the right thing."

Sitting frozen on the floor wasn't helping anyone, least of all herself. She swiveled onto her knees and gripped a countertop with her left hand as she pulled herself up. The muscles in her legs quivered, she felt the sting of strained bruises and took a sharp, shallow breath, trying not to flex her stomach too much. She could stand. It hurt, but she was able to do it. Getting to the sink in the corner required slow, limping movements and more motivation than she felt she had. She just wanted to sleep right now. She wanted to sleep and wake up in her old room in her mom's house, or in her apartment in New York, or anywhere else but here, and find out it had all been a nightmare.

She dropped her elbows against the edge of the sink and turned the water on all the way over to hot. Only her left hand went under the spray of the water; her right hand she kept carefully close to her body. The skin of her hand turned bright pink in seconds as she tried to rub her fingers over her palm to scrub off the residue of her sweat and whatever else was on the floor. The water was hot, her skin was red, and she splashed some water on her face to clear off the dried tears. She ran her left hand through her hair, causing one cowlick in her tangled locks.

Her hand was still pink when she turned the water back off and lowered herself gently to the ground. She felt heavy, like when you first get out of a pool sopping wet, and laid down once again in a corner. Trying to escape when she had been well and whole hadn't worked, and she was even less likely to make such a successful attempt now, but she had moved. It was more than what she had planned on doing. It was something.

Sutton catnapped at best. Her gurgling stomach and paranoia kept her from ever truly sleeping; still, the door hissing open startled her out of her daze. She didn't know how long he'd been out for. Time was distorted by pain and the lack of windows and she couldn't tell how long she'd even been in this room for. One day? Two? Did it even matter?

Khan filled the entire room once more. Sutton stayed still where she was, torn between standing in defiance and hoping he wouldn't notice her if she just stayed still enough. His gaze landed on her briefly, quickly categorizing whatever differences he could spot, and then seemed to dismiss her. He moved about the room with purpose. No movement was wasted or thoughtless as he turned on various pieces of equipment and began assembling some of the glassware holding the unknown chemicals that Sutton had avoided. She stayed in her spot; muscles decidedly froze and scrutinized his actions. He was working with the utmost care and it only confirmed to her that the chemicals in this room were, indeed, dangerous.

It was only later, when he began to pour his chemical concoction into a mold that Sutton felt the trepidation spilling over enough to speak.

"Y-you're doing the same thing."

Her eyes were hot and her heart was fluttering. Words were just as dangerous to exchange with him as blows. He was quick to find the dark, soft spots you hid from the world and press on them until you broke. Speaking at all to him was dangerous and felt wrong, but she had to. It couldn't be so simple. He wouldn't continue to follow the script after everything he'd pried from her.

"How very astute of you."

She pressed her lips together and watched as he sat the mold to the side to solidify. Khan moved from the lab table to a short shelf and grabbed a data pad. Sutton's attention flickered back towards the mold with the ring as he worked on the PADD. The ring was a bomb that reacted when dropped in water. Her hands shook as she briefly wondered if she had the guts to even act on what she was considering. Bombs existed in her universe; it would work on her.

_Billions of lives, billions of lives,_ she reminded herself.

"If you attempt it, I will only stop you."

Sutton winced and tore her eyes away from the mold, back down the floor. The room was too small. If she didn't have the element of surprise, she didn't have even the glimmer of a chance.

She tried to come up with any possible reason he'd want to continue on this path without outright asking him. Why would he still want to bomb the archive, probably end up killing Pike, and incur the wrath of James Kirk? He couldn't want vengeance anymore, at least not for the same reasons; his focus should be on the torpedoes and-

_Oh._

Marcus gave Kirk the torpedoes, with his crew hidden inside, to use on Khan and Kronos. On the Enterprise they'd be out of Marcus' sight and grasp.

But where did that leave the safety of the Enterprise and her crew?

That still didn't explain how he planned on actually getting the torpedoes away from them, but Sutton wasn't going to ask about that. He probably wasn't planning on divulging his plan to her of all people.

"Don't," her voice wavered and cracked as she spoke, "please don't hurt them." The ' _them'_ was understood by him, she knew that. There was no one else here specifically she knew or who were in his direct line of fire.

"They don't know anything-" "And their ignorance should save them? Their ignorance is what allows men like Marcus to exist." His sharp eyes lifted from his work to pierce her and Sutton pressed her lips together tightly. "Tell me, why should they be spared from the judgments on the sins of the man they work for?" "They would try and stop him, if they knew." "Ah, yes. And perhaps I should surrender to them now and submit myself to the pathetic terms of justice that the Federation will cast on me and my people."

Sutton didn't say anything. She most definitely didn't say that Khan and his fellow Augments deserved to be brought to justice. He continued ignoring her as he worked and she offered no further counter argument. There wasn't going to be a way to convince him with words. No way to convince him of anything at all, really. She would have to find another way to stop him, if she could. And she had to.

Shortly, Khan slid the solid ring into a metallic case followed by a small vial of his own blood. He snapped the case closed sharply and spun around in his chair to grab a shiny, silver trench coat. He picked up another jacket, this one long and black with a high collar, and tossed it at her.

"Put this on."

She fumbled to catch it with her one good hand and winced as the weight tugged on her muscles. Her face suddenly felt cold. The fabric was cool beneath her fingers and slick like some synthetic fiber. Khan slid the metal case into his breast pocket and snapped at her.

"Now." Sutton flinched and carefully maneuvered her right arm through the sleeve and then her left. She didn't miss him transferring her precious artifacts from her homemade bag into a smaller case and tucking that away in his jacket as well.

"Button it and flip the collar; quickly." She scowled without raising her head as she struggled with the buttons. Luckily there weren't many.

If he thought he could hide her out in public, make her blend in and drag her wherever he wanted her to go, he had another thing coming. He couldn't stop her from screaming bloody murder the minute they set foot on a busier sidewalk. Perhaps his downfall would be in assuming that she might easily comply with him now. Admittedly she had so far, but she was also alone without any hope for help or rescue.

But he couldn't fight off the entire city.

With the collar flipped up, she pulled some of her hair out of the jacket and chanced a brief glance up at him as a signal that she was done. Khan merely stood by the door and observed her actions with eyes that cut. She shifted uneasily as he didn't open the door and took one small step forward to test if that was what he wanted. Instead he tilted his head down at her and spoke.

"I know how you think this will go. You believe that there is a chance for rescue outside these doors, that the people on those streets will be able to save you. They will not. I will kill every person you attempt to signal for help. If you try to make a public display I will either leave you and come back for you later, which you do not want, or I will drug you and _deal_ with you later, which you also do not want."

Sutton felt another part of herself shatter, and she hadn't known she even had the capacity to break any more. Was this yet another impossible choice she had to make? Another situation like with Loki, where she had to make decisions she had never been prepared for the possibility of facing?

Could she save more lives if she defied him? If she made a ruckus and screamed and cried, would more people live than if she didn't? Her stomach sank further down towards her toes and a tingling feeling ran through her fingers and up her arms.

Would people be dying regardless of what choice she made, all because of her?

She wasn't sure if she could live with that thought.

Her gut said scream, cry, throw a fit, to act on that advice her mother had given her at a young age because "they're going to hurt you anyway, so do whatever you can to get away". But her gut had also told her that her sickness was nothing serious and only temporary, that she should do whatever it took to get back home, and that nothing bad had happened so far, so nothing bad would happen at all. She couldn't trust herself.

Sutton took another small, limping step forward and halted. Khan tilted his head in an approving manner and finally opened the door to leave. As Sutton forced herself passed the threshold, Khan wrapped his hand around her arm in a vice-like grip. To any passerby it might have appeared like they were a couple, but the pressure on her arm was more of a warning than anything close to caring. It only caused more pain on top of the still fresh wounds, and she was forced to follow along after him and keep up with his pace in order to avoid further pain.

The light reflecting off the surrounding metal skyscrapers was almost blinding. Sutton had to squint against the glare and Khan's pull on her arm was the only thing directing her. It took a few minutes for her eyes to finally adjust and by then they had already reached the busy streets of London. She glanced around at all the passing people, still torn over her decision to cooperate for the time being. Every decision felt like the wrong decision. Khan's hand squeezed her arm briefly and Sutton gasped sharply before snapping her mouth back shut.

They moved amongst the crowds with an alarming ease that only ate away at Sutton more and more. It seemed to her that Khan shouldn't be a person easily dismissed or ignored; for her he stood out like a beacon compared to the humans around him. But perhaps it was only because she knew to look for him. Perhaps compared to the plethora of species that occupied earth in this world he seemed mundane.

Her limbs felt hot and ached as she continued to walk and she grit her teeth as she pushed herself on. It wasn't like she had much of a choice, but she would rather not have Khan pulling on her any more harshly and causing more damage.

It seemed like they were set to walk until Sutton dropped from exhaustion. Khan wasn't running by any means, but the pace he set still had her panting for air before long. Her chest hurt and it was hard to regulate her breathing. They were passing what appeared to be a sort of warehouse when Khan swiveled suddenly and pulled her through the building's wide double doors after him. It was busy inside the warehouse. Various hover crafts and space ships lined the large bay area like some sort of dealership. A smartly dressed man was quick to meet them and smiled politely as Khan scanned the ships available. Sutton didn't make eye contact with anyone.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you today?" Khan reached into his coat and pulled out a tablet. With a few quick movements, he had brought up some sort of document file and handed the PADD to the man.

"I'm here for a Class F Shuttle. I believe you'll find all the files in order."

The man dutifully read the information on the PADD, and must have found it satisfactory, because he handed it back to Khan with a nod and another polite smile.

"Of course, we have one available right this way." He led them down the middle of the bay, between various models of spacecraft and down towards the end of the warehouse. The craft he gestured to was constructed of a dark metal, a squat square shape, and appeared to be a tad bit used. Sutton thought it looked to be a small to medium sized craft compared to others. There was no way seventy-two torpedoes would fit inside.

Khan accepted a PADD that the man passed him and signed at the bottom of the screen before the man told him the code to access the vessel and bid them a good day. Sutton watched the man's back as he walked away and left her alone with Khan again. The door to the vessel hissed open and Sutton was unceremoniously shoved inside with Khan following closely behind. The inside of the ship quickly lit up with the glow of the console as Khan sat in the pilot's seat and Sutton stayed in the back of the ship, unwilling to go up front as well as uninvited. A large door at the end of the building rolled open and within a few moments the ship lifted off the ground and sped out into the open air and then farther, up, until they broke through the earth's atmosphere and headed out into open space.

 


	23. Between A Rock and A Space Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things never quite go as she hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say "Thank You!" to wellsee21 for all the great feedback I've gotten here! It means a lot to me! :)

Space was empty and cold. Or maybe she was just projecting. But from the glimpse of space she could see out the front window panel, Sutton only saw blackness with beady pinpricks of white light. Space with the Doctor had been different. There were bright moons, rainbow nebulas, and vibrant cultures that seemed to spill from the planets into the empty spaces in between. There wasn't such magic about space travel now.

Khan pushed up on a lever and the pinpricks of light seemed to grow and then bleed into each other while her stomach simultaneously dropped. When they eased out of warp shortly after, Sutton had butterflies and one particular planet filled the window. She recognized it because it was part of her solar system: Jupiter. Its size was mind boggling to look at. Deep oranges and dusty browns swirled around each other like lazily stirred tea and a blood red spot spun down on the southern hemisphere. Khan moved even more sharply once they were in orbit around the planet.

She did not have a good feeling.

Sutton shifted to see better, hit a tender spot, hissed, and glared up at the back of Khan's head through her lashes. A dark, looming bulk was starting to take form as they rounded one of Jupiter's much smaller moons.

"You are positive that this Starfleet engineer was able to covertly gain access merely by pretending to be part of the construction crew."

Sutton startled at his voice; her own reply was quiet but biting.

"Yes."

She paused and her answer was satisfactory enough for Khan because he didn't say any more. Sutton gently stroked the fingers on her right hand and worked up the nerve to speak again.

"There's no way you can take over the ship by yourself. And I –I won't… won't help you."

"Nor could you. But your assumptions on my purpose here are completely wrong. I don't want to steal the ship at all; I am going to simply make some modifications."

That did not ease her worries at all. She wanted to say that she hoped he got caught, but decided not to voice that aloud. Her stomach spoke instead, deciding to let out a resounding growl and she shoved her fist into it to try and quiet the sounds.

"There is a replicator to your left," Khan shot over his shoulder. "Use it."

To the left there was another vaguely microwave looking device, though it was much smaller than the one that had been in Khan's hideout. She eased to her feet and glanced worriedly out the window before turning to face the replicator. There was a small touchscreen panel on the right hand side of the opening and Sutton tapped it lightly with her left index finger to activate it. The device was simple to use from there, with pictured foods available, and before the minute was up Sutton was hunkered back down in the corner with a ham sandwich. Or, at least it was molecularly the same as a ham sandwich. Whether it was the technology or her own despair, the sandwich just tasted a bit off with every bite she took.

Khan maneuvered the craft upwards and Sutton watched silently as a huge floating shipyard passed in front of them.

Maybe, her frazzled mind reasoned, this could turn out in her favor. Maybe he was going to disable the ship's weapons systems and that was it.

_That's all he's doing, that's all he's doing, that's all-_

A blinding pain shot through her temples and stole her breath. She dropped what was left of her sandwich to clutch at the left side of her chest, and she panted quietly a few times to try and steady herself. The stabbing pains eased back down to a dull throbbing slowly, and Sutton decided not to try anymore manipulation for the time being.

The craft angled above the giant structure, and Khan idled there until another wave of workers arrived before he swooped down and joined their ranks. There wasn't even a whisper over the radio, and Sutton wondered how well security for this base was really thought out.

Inside the floating base was the largest spacecraft Sutton had ever seen. She hadn't seen many, granted, but this one would probably trump any she'd ever see in the future. The dark metal of the ship was imposing and menacing even amongst the bright sparking lights of welders and workers. It didn't merely sit, it loomed; it was an entity unto itself. Sutton imagined one could get lost in its depths and never find their way out again.

Khan parked their craft in a quiet, dark corner and set about hitting a few switches that Sutton didn't know the purpose of. He stood soon after, and Sutton made herself smaller against one of the hull walls. Khan stepped over the remains of her dropped sandwich to reach her and Sutton's heart pounded as he gripped her chin with pressing fingers.

"I am going to sneak aboard the Vengeance," he told her. He made sure his eyes locked with hers and forced her to keep his gaze. "I am going to modify the command controls; I will be successful and you will remain here." He gripped her under the arm and dragged her over to a seat and effectively strapped her into it. With barely any effort on his part, he crushed the metal clasp of the seatbelt in his hand and ensured that she was a prisoner still. He forced her to look at him once more.

"If you manage to find a way out and try to escape I will find you, and you will be sorry when I do. Do you understand?"  
Sutton grit her teeth briefly and nodded jerkily. Khan frowned.

"I asked you a question."

" _Yes_ ," she hissed.

"Good."  
He released her and moved to the ships exit; Sutton watched as he slid out the opening and disappeared into the bowels of the Section 31 base.

Her left hand went immediately to the damaged seatbelt clip and desperately tugged and fumbled to try and pry the latch apart. The thick, bent metal hardly shifted and anymore pressure would end up most likely only cutting her one good hand open. She let out a pitiful, enraged shriek and slammed back into the seat accomplishing nothing except further injury. Frustrated tears simmered up and pooled at the bottom of her eyes. She grit her teeth and tried to blink back the emotion before it spilled over.

He was going way off course. She was in the blind now. Nothing was the same or set in stone and he had so much more of an advantage over Starfleet now that it wasn't funny.

_And it was her fault; all her fault._

She had to stop him. She had to do something.

And all she was doing was sitting useless. A hostage and an accomplice all neatly rolled into one. It took her some minutes to calm down enough to think halfway clearly. She didn't know how long it was going to take Khan to complete his tasks. Already she'd wasted precious time that could've been spent putting distance between this base and herself.

She closed her eyes, took a few seconds to gather herself, and then tried to clear her mind.

_Sure, Khan crushed the belt clasp, but the main mechanism shouldn't have been damaged. She'd just been panicked when she tried a few minutes ago. The clasp would open if she just wiggled it right. It would open, it would open, it would open._

She choked at the harsh flash of pain that zapped through her body and sent her head splitting again. Her left hand shook as she reached for the belt again and tried to disengage the lock. After three attempts the belt came undone and Sutton fell out of the seat and onto her knees with a desperate laugh. Her victory was so small it hardly felt like one in the first place, but she was taking it. Forcing herself to her feet was draining. Her left knee still felt like a muscle had been sprained and her ribs and abdomen hurt as she used her core muscles without thinking to help herself up.

For a split second she wished that some of this world's technology and innovations would work on her, because she was tired of being in pain and if a pill could fix her she'd take one in a heartbeat. But they didn't and she wasn't going to strain herself anymore in trying to believe that they could, especially after how much just the seatbelt thing had drained her. Sutton made her way to the door, reached for the control panel, and then pulled her hand back away quickly. Khan's threat echoed in her ears and she could feel every muscle grow taut as she considered her options. The fingers on her left hand curled and flexed in anxiousness as she stared at the closed, metal door.

He would hurt her again if she tried to get out.

But she had to! She had to warn the Enterprise crew and stop Khan before he wreaked havoc on the entirety of Starfleet. She still had the chance to save Pike, probably a third of the Enterprise crew, and maybe even thousands of people in San Francisco. She reached for the button to open the door again and froze.

How was she supposed to get off this base? Marcus was no better than Khan and this was his operation; a secret base that was out near Jupiter when she wanted to be on earth. She was slow and obviously not a Section 31 agent and Khan had promised he would find her.

Already he was probably up in the Vengeance doing who knew what and, and, oh gosh. He'd been manipulating her earlier and she hadn't even blinked in suspicion! Now he was bound to be successful in his mission and not get caught all thanks to her!

That hollow, dread-coated hole opened up in her chest as she remained stiffly next to her only way out. She was trying, she really was, but it just wasn't good enough. Maybe she wasn't giving it her best. Maybe she wasn't taking enough risks. A real hero would have seen some progress by now. They would have made a right decision somewhere along the way.

Steve would fight to the death, win or lose.

Natasha would have thought of fifteen different exit strategies already.

Tony would disable the ship or figure out how it worked and leave Khan stranded.

And she was just standing here.

She could really use a hug right now. When was the last time she'd actually really embraced someone? Probably not since the Avengers had popped up in front of her car and the chaos started. Sutton bit her lip and blinked aggressively once more.

_Self-pity doesn't help anyone,_ she told herself. _Do something brave for once. Actually try to save people._

Her hand was shaking as she took a breath and jammed her thumb into the button that would open the door. She'd waited too long.

Khan's black clad, hulking form shoved her roughly back into the ship and Sutton went sprawling back onto the floor unable to break her fall. The back of her head smacked sharply on the metal floor and half of a yelp slipped passed her lips before she cut the sound off.

"I had wondered if you might try," Khan said in almost a bored tone. "Foolish, though it is useful to see how strong your will still is." He stood in the middle of the ship and eyed the seat he'd previously forced her into, his gaze settling on the seatbelt mechanism for a moment.

"I suggest you sit down."

It wasn't a suggestion.

Sutton climbed back to her feet and shuffled over to the seat across from the one she'd just escaped from. Khan's eyes followed her movements and he moved to the cockpit once she'd seated herself. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palm as she heard the ship hum and begin to creep out of the base.

Space was becoming incredibly tiresome, which was something she had never imagined herself thinking. She had enjoyed astronomy as a child, soaking up little tidbits of facts about the planets in their solar system and prided herself on being able to identify at least five different constellations. Her fascination had, like any child's, been in the potential and the magic that the unknown held. She had never believed that she would see the stars up close.

And now she didn't want to see them at all.

Earth reappeared before them far too quickly. It was beautiful, shining with jewel-like blues and greens that looked pure and unpolluted, but coming back meant that Khan was another step closer to world domination, or whatever it was he wanted. He quickly returned the ship to the warehouse and dragged her along as he made a discreet trek to one Royal Children's Hospital. Sutton fidgeted, her eyes darting around the hospital grounds as she searched for a familiar face.

The man who was not Mickey from Doctor Who would be here with his wife, visiting his sick daughter. If Sutton could just get to him first. Or if she could even just convince him not to help, she might at least put a small dent in Khan's plans. There was a small, hesitant idea that had blossomed in her mind as she was dragged along by the elbow.

Perhaps she could just believe that his daughter was healed. It would hurt, she would most certainly injure herself further, but wouldn't it be worth it to stop a terrorist? Isn't that what any hero would do?

Maybe they'd give her some morphine when it was all over since they were in a hospital already.

As they neared the hospital, Sutton kept a keener eye out for the man Khan was planning to persuade into doing his will. Khan abruptly stopped before they even reached the doors of the hospital, however. Sutton couldn't see anyone inside, as they were still too far away and almost covered by the shadows of the tall trees around the lawn.

"You know what happens next."

Sutton tried to pull her arm out of his grasp but he held firm and tugged her uncomfortably closer. She shot a look up at him and tried not to shift too much. She wasn't sure what he was getting at; he knew that she knew what was going on. After all, she had been the one to unwillingly tell him. The way he was eyeing her made her feel nervous, his fingers loosened and then tightened again in a rippling like motion that had the hairs standing up on the back of her neck.

"You're too loyal. Too much of a risk."

A cold shock of adrenaline shot through the base of her skull and fizzled up through her arms to her fingertips. She fought harder against his hold, wincing and hissing as she deepened the bruises already there. Khan's hand didn't flinch against her struggling. She watched with widening eyes as he reached into his shiny silver coat and pulled out a small hypo-spray. Sutton hadn't realized that he'd brought one with him.

"No, no, no! Don't!"

The hypo-spray bit into the side of her neck and it only took moments for the world to go fuzzy.

**[][]**

When Sutton woke it took her a moment to register the world around her. There was a humming all around her, something tight criss-crossing across her chest, and there was a weight on her legs holding her down. Sutton blinked lethargically and moaned lightly as yellow lights blinked and danced around a black canvas. Khan was alarmingly close to her, dressed in all black same as the sky and they were zipping passed skyscrapers and busy city life. Sutton's breath hitched as she took everything in. The weight on her legs was a black duffel bag and she suddenly knew where she was and what was coming next.

She hadn't saved not-Mickey. She hadn't stopped him from bombing the archives.

And now he was on his way to decimate an entire meeting of Starfleet higher-ups.

She whimpered quietly as they neared a slew of skyscrapers. Sutton strained against the seatbelt and found it almost impossible to move under the weight of the duffel in her lap.

"I failed again," she hissed almost silently to herself. The self-loathing was starting to roil and grow out of the dark crevices she'd banished it to long ago. She'd never felt so worthless or tainted as she did now.

"I am superior in every way," Khan intoned. "You haven't stood a chance from the beginning."

The reminder didn't make her feel better or any less guilty.

Khan brought the ship up, rising up and up until Sutton could see a table full of silhouettes that suddenly were lit with the ominous red lights from their vessel. Her heart pounded faster, faster, faster. For one split second she could clearly see into the room, see the faces stare back at the window as they registered what was right outside. She could see the terror bleed into their faces as they realized what was about to happen. And then Khan hit a trigger and chaos was unleashed.

Bodies dove and ducked around the room, scrambling for cover and safety. Sutton saw a few bodies drop without a chance to move more than a few feet. She couldn't see individual faces anymore, only frantically shifting shapes and bright flashes of laser light that seared her own vision.

It was a horror film come to life. The sound of glass shattering after the first initial shots had been loud and startling, and the sound of Khan's firing was a drum beat of death, but she could hear nothing else. Something inside of her snapped and she wasn't in control of her limbs anymore. She tried to reach out, tried to wrench the controls from him and stop the madness and death.

"Stop it! Stop!"  
But the seatbelt and the bag hindered movement and Khan's grip on the controls was firmer than hers could ever hope to be. Her inhibitions were alarmingly absent because she even tried yanking Khan's arm away from firing mechanism, but he shook her off like a horse does a fly.

Light exploded to her right and she jerked to see a lone figure in the building firing off shots at the gun mounted on her side of the ship. It was too dark to really see, and with how Khan was swiveling the ship back and forth to inflict maximum casualties, she couldn't get a good look, but she knew.

Kirk.

_Kirk!_

Sutton slammed her hands on the window as he dipped in and out of vision, hoping that he would somehow catch sight of her.

"It's a trap," she screamed at the top of her lungs. "It's all a trap! Don't follow him! Do you hear me!"

But odds were he didn't even see her. Sutton felt the thud as the gun Kirk threw hit their ship and got sucked into the intake pipe, or whatever it was. She felt the explosion as a chunk of wall followed soon after hitting the exact same spot. The ship began to careen wildly side to side and dip down in what was soon to be a crash. The cockpit was suddenly glowing a warm yellow light, and it wrapped around Sutton like a cocoon. For one halting moment the world seemed to slow and Sutton could see Kirk clearly. He stared into the ship with a face wrought with confusion as he made eye contact with Khan. She pounded on the glass again with however many seconds she had left. The force rattled her bones up to her shoulders but it didn't stop her.

"IT'S A TRAP. Don't, it's a trap!"

The world and the destruction around them disappeared, and Sutton wasn't sure that Kirk had even seen her.

**[]**

Transwarp beaming was an experience that Sutton could hardly find words for. It reminded her of when she jumped universes, if jumping universes ever felt safe and didn't feel like it was tearing her into pieces from the inside. There was a weightlessness about it, as if all your atoms became something else for the duration of your trip.

All she knew was that she at least didn't feel the need to completely collapse when she found herself put back together. She took a few staggering steps on black, rocky ground and frowned.

_Wait._

How did the transwarp beaming device even work on her? Khan's blood hadn't worked on her. The disease he'd tried to inflict on her hadn't worked. She wasn't a scientist, but she knew that technology in her universe was nowhere near this level of advancement.

A hand wrapped around her arm again and she was violently yanked forward.

"For your own sake, I'd advise not lingering out in the open here."

She didn't fight him as he pulled her over craggy passes and onward over the planet's surface. There was nowhere for her to run to.

Kronos. She was on Kronos now. Home to Klingons, enemy of Starfleet and advocates of killing humans first, asking questions never.

The realization hardly dawned on her though. Her mind was still stuck in a loop, playing the shocked and terrified glimpse of faces she'd been able to see over and over again. People in that room had died. Actually died. Not fake movie died.

_They died because she hadn't done enough to try and stop him._

Her left foot caught on a rock and she stumbled until she was leaning against an outcropping. Her stomach rolled and she dry heaved twice before expelling the small portion of sandwich she'd eaten earlier. They were moving again while she was still trying to wipe her mouth. Kronos, it seemed, was a place that even Khan did not want to necessarily be caught in.

Sutton's mind was largely blank as they trudged on. Emotions were complicated and difficult to process and it was hard to breath in whatever atmosphere this planet had. Khan didn't have a problem with breathing nor with navigating the terrain, and he continued to make sure she kept alongside him despite how exhausted and shellshocked she felt. They climbed up higher until a series of crevices in the rocks opened up, and Khan pulled her into one that seemed to stretch back farther than the others so that it might be able to be considered a shallow cave. There were a few supplies already inside, and two bed rolls. Sutton shuddered and her skin went clammy with the question of just how long she was unconscious for pressing at the forefront of her mind.

She paused shortly after passing through the cave entrance, and Khan released her arm as he continued on to one of the supply packs. He pulled a bundle of dark colored fabrics out of one bag and tossed them to her. The material hit her in the chest, and Sutton fumbled against limp arms to catch them.

"Change out of those ridiculous clothes," he said. "They'll attract unwanted attention."

Her gaze lingered over the dark fabrics before she met his gaze briefly and then glanced around the cave. There wasn't really a sheltered corner to privately change in, and Sutton shifted uneasily.

"Do not flatter yourself with concerns for decency. Change."

With no other choice, Sutton shuffled to the back of the cave. She kept the long black coat on and tried to change without removing it, though the contortions required for such a feat were uncomfortable to say the least.

The clothes fit well enough, and were black and made of a sturdy material that she wasn't quite familiar with. Her golden boots looked absurd peeking out from underneath her dark utility-like pants. She secured the jacket around her once more and sank down to the floor next to her pile of old clothes. Khan sat slightly further off, ignoring her for organizing weaponry and making modifications to certain pieces. Sutton rested her chin on her knees and felt the dread in her stomach fester.

The odds of Kirk of having seen her, let alone heeding her warning, were low. The Enterprise would be on its way soon, with all of Khan's crew with it. Just as Khan wanted.

She had no choice. She'd have to do something when they arrived.

She couldn't let any more people die because of her weakness. She couldn't.

The only sounds from outside were a howling wind and the only sights were ashy black flakes that were tossed around by the currents of air. None of it offered any appearance of hope or good fortune. If she were raised on this world, Sutton might be bent on planetary domination too. She picked at the sleeve of her coat dully and chewed at her chapped bottom lip.

"How-why did it work?"

Her voice was hardly a whisper, but she knew he'd heard her even if his hands didn't still. He remained silent and Sutton bit her tongue a moment before deciding to elaborate.

"The, uh, the trans-warp. It-it shouldn't 've."

Khan continued adjusting some of the wires on one of the larger guns in his arsenal, but she saw the vaguely amused glint in his eye after she'd spoken. She was starting to think he was going to let the question linger without answer when he finally decided to speak.

"You are in a precarious state. Your molecular structure's stability is volatile at best given your situation. Whomever was trying to keep you previously had the right idea."

Sutton felt her stomach drop as Khan put down the gun and reached into the breast pocket of his coat to pull out a familiar metal container. The fob watch spilled out when he tipped the case over. It sat in his palm: silver, gleaming, and open. His fingers curled around it and he lifted it up, shifting it in the available light and allowing her to see that it had been tinkered with.

He had been messing with it. He had been trying to learn how to use it.

For a second a smile almost flashed across his face as he took in her own terror stricken expression.

"I'd hate for you to lose those valuable memories," he said. "But I believe this device can be modified. If done correctly, it should be able to serve as a self-sustaining feedback loop; taking in your molecular output and sending it back to you creating the illusion that you are back in your own universe." He actually did flash a self-satisfied grin at her with his next statement.

"I feel it's promising. My preliminary tests were, after all, successful. The trans-warp beaming device sent you here right along with me, with no unfortunate mishaps."


	24. One Steps Forward & Another Steps Back

Tony was trying his best not to be irritated at the return of Axel Ladino, SHIELD agent and general annoyance. He'd almost forgotten about the boy's existence in his absence off on "a temporary mission", but he was back now and meddling anew. It wasn't good for Tony's blood pressure. He had enough to deal with processing all the new data that had come in without having to maneuver around an interfering obstacle that contributed absolutely nothing.

Data was still being sorted even now. Tony and Reed were doing their best to process it all and set up computer simulations. A few were looking promising, but nothing was concrete. And Tony really needed something to be concrete.

Luckily, for the moment, Axel was hovering over the shoulder of Reed and out of his own hair. He might've felt bad for the young doctor if he wasn't so exhausted. But, as it was, his mind was running on fumes and he didn't have enough energy to spare on things like sympathy.

Tony shuffled out of the lab and over to the kitchenette located on the same floor. His stained mug was empty, the pot in the lab was empty, and he was in a desperate need of a refill. He reached the kitchen and sat his mug on the counter before he realized there was a wrapped package sitting on the island in the middle of the room. Tony froze, retraced his steps and eyed the package with suspicion.

"Jarvis, where'd this come from?"  
 _[I am not sure, sir. I have no records of a delivery being made or of anyone entering this room before you. Current scans do not detect any imminent threat from inside the package.]_

Tony grunted and eyed the box. It was a mailing box that had no visible postage stamps, and only a label that read:

_Tony,_

_Hope this helps._

_Jane_

Except, from what he remembered, Jane's handwriting looked less like it was straight from Jane Austen's diary, and more like a doctor's chicken scratch. Grabbing a knife from a nearby drawer, he slid it under the perfectly placed shipping tape and opened it at the top. Inside was a notebook, and several different energy-wave and molecular readers. Tony flipped through the notebook and would have dropped his coffee mug had he been holding it.

The numbers were astounding. They should have been impossible. But if they were accurate, if they were accurate and could be applied to the simulations that they were trying to run?

Maybe they could actually find Sutton after all.

Completely forgetting his quest for caffeine, Tony scooped up the box and rushed back to the lab as fast as he could with the possible missing link in their calculations. When he entered his code and the lab doors _whooshed_ open, he bolted straight for Reed. Knocking Axel out of the way, he sat the box down in front of the younger scientist and pulled out the notebook.

"Take a look at these numbers."  
Axel grumbled from behind him.

"Yeah, no problem. Excuse me."

Reed scanned the notes rapidly with ever widening eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

"Where did you get this?"

"What? What is it?"  
Tony sighed and rubbed at his own bloodshot eyes.

"Supposedly Jane," he said. "But I have suspicions otherwise. Regardless of where it came from though, it will help. This is the data we've needed."

Reed nodded, but remained subdued in the face of the breakthrough. He kept flipping through the notebook pages and then peered down into the box of other gadgets.

"We'll still have to run all the numbers, but it does look promising!"

"Let me see."

Axel reached for the notebook and Tony snatched it from Reed before the agent could touch it. He snapped the cover closed and glared at the kid, not feeling particularly friendly at the moment.

"You've been here all week dipping your hands into my stuff," he said. "SHIELD might insist on you being here, but that doesn't mean you get access to everything. This is still my lab."  
Axel frowned at the snappish reply and immediately stiffened.

"Keeping Sutton safe is my mission," he said defensively.

Tony dropped the notebook back into the box and prepared to transport it to the corner where he had a console for inputing new data.

"Yeah, well, you already failed on that one, kid, so leave the rescuing part to the people who actually know what they're doing. And you can even tell ol' Nick I said that."

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

She was so hungry now that her stomach had stopped growling and just ached. Khan only had a few meal packets and even then he had only given her enough to ensure she survived. There was only the wind, bleak skies, and an empty silence as Sutton huddled in the back of the cave and prayed that Kirk and his crew wouldn't come. But she knew in her heart, just as surely as she'd ever known anything, that they would. Kirk would be heartbroken and rage-filled and he would make his way over here with the intent to dole out justice. She eyed Khan and his jacket where she'd seen him put back the case of her things. He'd closed the watch after taunting her with it; said he'd rather she didn't show up on any scans for the time being, and tucked it all back away out of her reach.

But if she wanted any hope at all, she needed that watch. Again.

When Sulu's voice echoed down onto the planet's surface, Sutton almost choked her stomach dropped so quickly. Khan's attention snapped to the cave's opening as he listened the warning broadcasted to him.

_Attention: John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. And if you test me, you will fail._

Khan grinned in what appeared to be thrilled relief instead of cowering like a normal person might have. Without wasting a second, he was on his feet and moving, collecting a few weapons and tapping a set of commands into a beaming device that he'd managed to store here. Sutton didn't like the amount of planning he'd been able to do in just a few days.

He threw on his long, dark trench coat and a hooded cowl that protected his neck and face from the ashy winds. Before he darted out of the cover of the cave he turned to flash an excited grin at her.

"Feel free to distract your beloved Enterprise crew if you like."

Sutton leapt to her feet, her left knee almost buckling completely under the force, and darted to the entrance of the cave after Khan moved away. She was able to catch the fading traces of yellow light as she peered out at the craggy landscape. She huffed, immediately starting to make her way down to more level ground. It was slower going than she would have liked. She was tired, hungry, and not completely steady on her feet. Additionally, she didn't really know where she was going or how to signal to the Enterprise crew in the first place.

She still couldn't decide if she felt worse or relieved now that Khan was out of her vicinity.

Sutton pushed herself to keep going, trying to find any sort of natural landmark that look remotely familiar or tried to see if she could hear any sort of spacecraft jetting overhead. She coughed as some of the air particles caught in her lungs and stuck there. But she couldn't stop; she had to find them. Had to try and warn them. Sutton climbed down and down, over crumbled rock and dirt. Eventually she realized that she wasn't climbing over rock anymore. It had faded away into what seemed to be some abandoned ruins; although, "ruins" was probably the wrong word for it. What looked to be parts of squat, concrete wall stood in almost a maze-like pattern and was surrounded by several, larger walls. These larger walls each had a giant circular light that dimmed a yellow glow in and out of existence. Sutton thought it looked familiar and took it as progress. There hadn't been any Klingon in sight either, which she was immensely grateful for.

"You can do this," she said to herself. "You can-"

Something jetted loudly overhead and Sutton stumbled as a ship zipped by being pursued by several larger ones. More of the larger ships appeared to surround the smaller one and Sutton realized with a sudden horror that she was smack dab in the middle of it all. With all her energy, she ran for cover to the side and managed to fall only once.

All the ships idled in a standstill, a spot light was shone on the smaller vessel and an angry, grumbling voice spoke harshly in a guttural language that Sutton didn't understand. She watched as two of the ships descended, sending up clouds of dirt and ash as they hit the ground. She coughed again and watched wide-eyed as a lone, dark female figure strode confidently out of the smaller ship and towards a group of alien beings.

Klingons were just as intimidating in real life as Sutton had expected them to be. They were tall, with broad shoulders and wicked armor. All of them wore thick helmets covering their faces, save for one whose visible forehead ridges made him distinctly non-human. The helmet-less Klingon seemed to be the leader, and he exchanged words with the bold woman who stood her ground. Sutton didn't remember the exact dialogue exchanged given that she was more worried about the situation at hand, but the conversation didn't go well.

The Klingon warrior lunged forward and grabbed the woman by the jaw. Sutton saw him reach for a knife on his thigh.

She didn't think, she just acted. Sutton rushed out as fast as she could from behind the wall she'd been hiding behind.

"Hey!"

Picking up the largest rock she could lift, Sutton threw it in the direction of the Klingon troop. It didn't quite hit anyone, but it created enough of a distraction for the woman to snatch the knife from its sheath and stab her attacker in the leg with his own weapon. He let out a bellow of rage and suddenly everything was moving. Laser fire was coming from the small ship as the rest of the landing crew barreled out and came to their crewman's defense. Sutton yelped and dropped to the ground just as a blast from a Klingon gun smoked passed where her head had been. The impact left her gasping for breath as she tried to crawl away from incoming fire.

A man in a red shirt ran out, his own phaser firing away, and Sutton could only watch in horror as a hot beam hit him square in the chest and sent him flying back.

She screamed.

There were too many Klingons. They would never make it back to the Enterprise alive.

_No. No, it couldn't end like this. She couldn't be responsible for them dying._

A barrage of laser fire came from overhead, mowing down a line of Klingon warriors and preventing the imminent death of one James Kirk. The battle field all but froze as gazes turned to see just who would have a weapon of such magnitude. Sutton couldn't breathe.

Khan was back.

He fought with a brutality the likes of which Sutton had never seen. Warrior after warrior fell. The blast power he had modified into the weapons he'd brought was enough to incinerate bodies clean in half. Sutton was panting for air, her ribs were on fire, there was so much shadowed movement that she wasn't quite sure who was where anymore. Something grabbed at her arm and she shrieked while immediately fighting back.

"If you would like to survive, I ask that you stop from assaulting those who are trying to help you."

Sutton gasped, twisting to see the one and only Spock at her side. His slanted eyebrows and pointed ears, a clear sign of his half-Vulcan heritage, were a relief to see. He led her back around a few cement lumps for cover and there the others were waiting. Uhura, the woman, was helping Kirk to his feet and looked up sharply as they approached.

"Who is she?"

"I am not certain. But it appeared she needed help."

Sutton almost collapsed, but from relief or dread she wasn't sure.

"Please, please, don't let him on the ship. He knows. This is all a trap, you have to leave him here, or shoot him, or something. Please-"

The battle continued around them, though Khan was making quick work of the opposing troop. Already he'd shot down two of their ships singlehandedly and he was picking off the rest of the ground fleet one by one.

Kirk eyed her in confusion and seemed a bit winded himself.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important," Sutton snapped. "What's important is that Khan has probably sabotaged your ship and you are playing into his trap! I'm trying to help!"

"Captain," Uhura insisted, "we have to-"

The battle field was suddenly quiet. Their huddle suddenly stiffened, and Sutton's heart raced quicker than was humanly healthy. Khan's dark form came marching out of the smoke and haze, and Sutton scrambled back away from him.

"You have to listen to me! Shoot him or leave him here, just don't take him prisoner!"

Khan threw the giant gun he'd been holding down into the dirt and held up his hands.

"I surrender," he said easily.

Kirk straightened and Spock continued to hold Khan at gunpoint. Sutton watched as Kirk tilted back his chin in bravado.

"On behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend, I accept your surrender."

Then he reeled back his fist and struck Khan with a blow that would have knocked an ordinary man down. Khan merely absorbed the impact and directed an admonishing look towards the true Starfleet captain. Another punch landed, then another and another, but Khan was more than human and it didn't seem to ruffle him at all. Kirk only ceased when Uhura cried out for him to stop, and by then he'd done more damage to himself than anyone else.

"Cuff him," he sneered as if Khan's lack of reaction hadn't bothered him.

Sutton could shriek again at how blatantly her warning was being ignored. She didn't know what Khan had done to the Enterprise, and he had to have done something to it because why leave the planet otherwise, but whatever it was it would no doubt be detrimental.

She had to take matters into her own hands.

She had to accept whatever darkness it took to get the job done to undo her original sin.

She had to save these people herself.

Khan's discarded gun was a yard or two away from her feet, and she dove for it as Spock prepared to cuff Khan with ready to go manacles. The weapon was absurdly heavy. The way Khan had held it one would assume that it was the weight of a pistol, but it took her two hands to hold it upright and the fingers on her right hand screamed in response.

Gritting her teeth, Sutton spun around to take aim, finger ready on the trigger and mind fuzzy save for the mantra of ' _it's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault'_ circling in a vicious loop. She was about to fire when the gun was knocked to the side and away from her. The weight was so heavy that she wasn't able to right it once the momentum hit, and it went crashing out of her grasp and back onto the ground. Sutton gasped sharply as her fingers burned anew and she turned to see that Uhura had been the one to stop her.

"We can't let you do that," she said. Perhaps they had noticed her current state, or maybe it was something in her eyes, but Uhura spoke as gently as possible against the harsh Kronos wind with imploring eyes. "He has the right to a fair trial."

"You don't know what you're doing," Sutton hissed. "This is what he wants. You don't understand. Please, you have to trust me."

Khan merely observed her with a gleam in his eye that spoke of him already anticipating his victory.

"Why, Sutton, I was unaware you were capable of such bloodlust."

She blinked back tears, because crying was pointless and unhelpful and no way she was going to do it in front of him again.

Spock began leading Khan back to the spacecraft and Sutton swayed. Her left knee buckled sending her back towards the ground and Uhura caught her before Kirk could.

"Come on, _kidogo moja,_ " she said. "You look like you need to go to medical."

**[]**

Sutton couldn't stop trembling the entire ride back up to the starship Enterprise. She might've even thought it a large ship if she hadn't previously seen the Vengeance. Spock and Kirk both managed the controls, but Kirk shot frequent looks back at them, only looking more confused as they went along.

"Who are you anyway? And what are you doing on Kronos, with him?"

She took a moment to make sure her voice wouldn't completely crack when she spoke.

"My name is Sutton and I've been... I've been-" The words stuck in her throat and she couldn't manage to say just why she'd been on Kronos when Khan was sitting less than five feet away.

"Maybe an explanation can wait," suggested Uhura with a wary glance at Khan.

"Given that she seems to be in emotional duress, I would have to agree with Lieutenant Uhura."

Sutton balled her left hand into a fist and hissed.

"I wouldn't be in _emotional duress_ if you just pushed him out the airlock."

Kirk snorted in amusement.

"Believe me, there's nothing I'd enjoy more. But Starfleet doesn't operate like that."

The last statement was said with a tinge of regret and an annoyed glare at Spock.

They were getting closer to the Enterprise. Sutton could see light pouring out from a docking bay and time was almost out.

"I'm from another dimension, okay? I know things and now _he_ knows things and he's had time to plot and you're all in extreme danger! Can someone just listen to me for two seconds?"

Their ship maneuvered into the docking bay and landed. Sutton felt the drop and thud as if it had happened in her bones.

"Improbable," said Spock. "The alternate timeline was closed and-"

"I said _dimension_!"

People began moving, the door opened and the small group headed for the exit. Spock led Khan off the ship and was quickly accompanied by several security officers; Sutton was helped along by Uhura with Kirk following.

"Come on," the lieutenant said. "You _both_ should stop by medical."

Kirk looked ready to argue, but was hushed with a scolding glare and the reminder that Sutton should give some sort of explanation once she was more settled.

The ship was bright, with white walls and glowing lights that shone from recessed spaces. Sleek consoles and touchscreens were abundant and the realistic lack of lens flare was a welcome relief. Still, it was all so bright and gleaming and clean compared to what the surface of Kronos had been like. It took a few different hallways and a lift ride up to reach the medical bay, and when they finally had Sutton felt tired to her bones. No, deeper than her bones. Her spirit was tired, tired, tired, but she couldn't stop now. Not when everything was about to come to a head and bring destruction with it.

Bones was practically at the door when they walked in. He was wearing medical blue, the markings of head doctor, and a deep scowl.

"What's going on," he growled as he ushered Kirk to one of the beds. He already had a scanner in hand and was trying to scan Kirk despite the captain's constant moving.

"I'm fine, Bones."

"Like he-"  
Sutton saw Bones' eyes flicker over her and he cut himself off as he jerked towards her in surprise. He immediately started using the scanner on her and frowning at the results.

"Sit her down here, Uhura. What happened to you?"

When Sutton actually sat on the medical cot it felt like all the feeling shot back to her nerve endings with full force. She cringed and then cracked an eye open to see Bones reach for a hypo-spray of something and sighed.

"That won't work, don't even bother."  
Bones shot her a look.

"Yeah? Well, I'm the doctor here, thanks."

Kirk, seemingly happy to have slipped out of an examination, focused his attention on her as well.

"You ready to explain who you are now? I have a prisoner to interrogate and a ship to fix too so, you know, the quicker the better."

Sutton tried to see around Bones, but he was too busy scanning her current state to care about being in the way. She frowned, eyes darting to the med bay doors and wondering if they would agree to flood Khan's prison cell with knockout gas. Or poison. Whichever.

_No, no. It was bad enough she'd tried to shoot to kill. She couldn't think like that._

"I already told you, I'm from another dimension that knows your future, ok? And you don't have much time left to try and counter whatever Khan's plan is!"  
"Who's Khan?"  
Sutton ran a hand through her hair and grumbled an almost growl.

"Ugh. Khan is John Harrison, ok? He's not human, he's an augment and I _told him everything I knew_ and he's going to use that against you! He- I- I couldn't run from him, ok? I-I- didn't want to tell-"

Her eyes began to water against her will to the alarm of the men in the room. Sutton could feel Uhura's hand on her shoulder. Bones spared her a look of sympathy as he gazed between her and his instruments.

"I don't think you need to spell it out for us, kid."

Kirk's face gained a sharp edge as he seemed to finally take in all her injuries himself. Her words hung in the air and it took a moment for them to sink in to the others.

"He can't be an augment," said Kirk. "They were all killed after the Eugenic Wars."

"No," said Sutton, "they weren't. Look. John is Khan Noonien Singh. I'm pretty sure he got onboard the Enterprise while you all were running from Klingons, and Marcus is probably on his way now to make sure you killed him like you said you would. Meanwhile, Khan did something to the big, evil ship Marcus has and Khan is going to do whatever it is he has planned to get his people out of all those torpedoes and kill you all and-"

She was having trouble breathing again, and something on Bones' device beeped faintly in warning. He grumbled something about faulty equipment and moved to stick her with a hypo-spray which she batted away.

"I told you, it won't work!"  
Bones rolled his eyes in an exasperation that spoke of past experiences.

"Not another one," he grumbled.

Kirk hopped off the medical cot and made for the exit.

"C'mon, Bones," he said. "Have one of your nurses look after... Sutton for a moment. We have a homicidal maniac to look into. Lieutenant, thank you, back to your station."

Uhura nodded in reply.

"Captain."

They headed towards the door and Kirk turned on his heel, walking backwards, to address Sutton.

"We'll be back to talk," he said. "Don't worry now; you're safe here."

Sutton very much doubted it.


	25. Shock and Awe

Sutton pushed herself up off the cot as she attempted to bolt out of the room the moment the main crew were out of sight. There was no time to waste on things like medical care or rest at a pinnacle point like this!

"Wait, miss!"

A nearby nurse reached out just as she was stepping away from the cot, the woman's arm shooting out and catching Sutton right across the ribs before Sutton could dodge or soften the blow.

Fire erupted and flared across her muscles and bones and she saw stars.

The pain was so sharp, so consuming, that all Sutton could do was gasp sharply for breath. It felt like all the air had been knocked from her lungs, and she practically crumbled while gapping like a fish out of water.

"Oh dear; that's not a good sign! Have a seat, I need to have a look at that."

Sutton sat because the pain made it hard to function and she didn't stand a chance against a nurse who'd clothesline her right where it hurt, accidentally or not. The medical team were quick to inspect her ribs, meaning her view of the doors was blocked by a curtain and her shirt was all but pulled off.

"Get me ten ccs of Terakine," the nurse called out behind her.

"Aspirin 's fine," Sutton wheezed. "I mean, I'd ask for a Vicodin but I need as much of my wits as I can manage right now. Not saying I have a lot, I just need what I do have."

The nurses, much like ones in any universe, ignored her and did their job as they knew best, but Sutton was just about fed up with hypo-sprays to the neck when they had no payoff. The nurses managed to wrap her ribs with what amounted to an ace bandage, put a sturdy brace on her knee, and re-bandage the fingers on her right hand in an efficient amount of time. There was nothing they could really do about the bruising by her eye or on her limbs. The moment they finished and backed away to put away their supplies, Sutton made a break for it again. Generally she was able to move a bit faster, but the brace made it a tad bit more difficult. Still, she made it out the door and started down the corridor this time before the nurses could catch up to her.

Sutton continued hurriedly down unfamiliar hallways and passed curious members of the crew as she limped by.

She still had time. _She still had time, right?_

Khan was locked in the brig now and Marcus hadn't arrived yet. There were still precious minutes open for possible action.

But enough time to put a wrench in Khan's plans and get her case of souvenirs back?

She tried to believe that there was.

Maybe she appeared to know where she was going, or maybe people couldn't leave their posts, but she wasn't exactly stopped as she tried to find her way around the Enterprise. It was harder to navigate than she had anticipated. There was no signage posted on the walls giving directions, no nice holographic blinking boards announcing "BRIG THIS WAY" or "LEFT TURN FOR THAT STUFF YOU NEED". And honestly, at this point, some help would have been really nice.

The brace on her knee was making it difficult to move as quickly as she felt she needed to and only added to her mounting frustration and anxiety. The corridor finally opened at a lift and Sutton hurried to it with renewed determination.

She reached the doors causing them to open and moved to walk through them just as Bones stepped around the corner from the right. Sutton barely managed to not run into him, twisting on her right foot in a circle to avoid hitting him and trying to dodge into the elevator.

"Whoa!"  
"Hey, what are you doing out here?"  
Sutton tried to get around the doctor but he blocked the door and she wasn't able to pass him before the frosted glass doors slid shut.

"Sorry, but I have to stop him on my own if you won't help!"  
In his hand Bones held what Sutton knew was a blood sample from Khan, and he tucked it in a pouch on his belt in order to reach for her.

"The only thing you have to do is rest," he snapped. "You obviously don't even know where you're going."  
He was able to snag the black, Starfleet-like shirt she still wore, but Sutton scampered in the direction he'd come and was able to break away before he got a good grip on her.

"Just tell me where the brig is and I can- I can, well I can figure it out when I get there!"

His gray-green eyes flashed in annoyance and his lip curled up with it and Sutton figured that he wasn't going to give her reliable directions anytime soon.

"I'm a doctor, not a babysitter da-"

Sutton was already moving onward past the lift, deciding that she could take her chances on this floor and find another lift on the way.

"Get back here! You don't have clearance for-"  
 _[Calling Doctor McCoy to the bridge immediately. Doctor McCoy to the bridge.]_

Breathing a small sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to run from Bones at the moment, Sutton noticed that the further she went down the hall, the less people there seemed to be. Before there had been a bustle of blue and red shirts alike, and now there were mostly red shirts, and more had phasers strapped to their sides than not.

"Excuse me? Where's your clearance?"  
Sutton was forced to a stop as someone finally decided that she looked like she was up to no good. The man was probably security; behind him she could see a set of sliding double doors that looked to open into a large room.

"Who are you?"

The ensign was of moderate height, and by his stance he didn't seem to see her as a high level threat. He eyed her with inquisitive dark brown eyes as bright white light reflected off his skin and made it glow amber. Sutton hesitated to try and come up with an answer, and hesitated because she was trying to catch her breath.

"Am I close to the brig? Is it- I need to do... something."  
The man squinted in suspicion.

"You can't go any farther," he said. "Are you- are you supposed to be in-"

There was a popping noise as the PA system for the ship crackled on and Kirk's voice sounded from surrounding speakers.

_[Attention Enterprise crew: If anyone comes across a young injured female, please restrain her. She was last seen on Deck 7 and should be returned to med-bay. Described as short, pale, with brown curled hair and walking with a limp.]_

The red-shirt cocked a brow at her as the PA system popped back off and Sutton winced at his vaguely amused expression.

"I guess that answers my question."

She was half convinced based off the all phaser-toting patrollers that she was near the brig, but Sutton knew that she wouldn't be able to outrun this guy. He was fit and too close already and she was winded as it was.

"Ok, ok, listen! Just listen! You don't know me, but I am trying to do the right thing, ok? That prisoner you got is way more dangerous than you think, alright?"  
She tried to see around him, but couldn't see Khan or anyone she recognized behind the double doors.

A spot of black against the stark white and silver of the ship caught her attention, however. Sutton diverted her gaze to a set of cubbies outside the double doors that appeared to hold a bundle of black clothes. Her heart leapt up in a sudden hope and she craned to see around the guy in front of her.

"Are those his clothes? Is his coat in there?"

"You're going to have to come with me."  
He grabbed her gently by the arm and Sutton began to fight against him as she kept her eyes locked on the pile of clothes.

"I need that case! He has my stuff!"  
"Miss-"

He was stronger than her and successful in starting to pull her away back down the corridor. Sutton pulled back, despite the throbbing pain it caused.

"I need that stuff! Please, it's mine and he stole it! Just let me get it and I'll go with you; please! You can look inside or whatever, I just need it!"

Her struggling was going to strain something or deepen a couple of bruises, but the ensign at least paused to listen to her and shot a glance to the bundle of clothes she was adamantly focused on.

"I can't let you- can you please just -for the love of the Federation, do you promise to calm down if I look for it?"

"Yes!"

He sighed heavily and instructed her not to move as he went to the shelf and pulled out the long trench coat.

"In the breast pocket," she helpfully supplied, shifting constantly on the balls of her Starfleet member rolled his eyes as he dug inside the coat and Sutton could hardly breath as he pulled out a small metal case. He eyed it oddly before opening it and peering inside.

"This?"  
Sutton nodded, her hair falling over her shoulders as she reached forward to try and take it from his hands.

"Yes, yes, that's it! That's my stuff!"

But he didn't hand over the case; he pushed her forward instead back towards med-bay.

"I'll have to run this by the captain," he said.

It was far from satisfactory, but it was better than running the risk of Khan getting it back the moment he was moved from his cell.

The red-shirt led her back to the room she'd just come from with a care she didn't quite anticipate. Generally this was the part where the person dragged her along and grumbled about what a nuisance she was; and she wouldn't exactly disagree with them. But this guy walked with a stride that she was able to keep up with and didn't complain at her pace or the panicked outburst she'd just displayed over obtaining the metal case. Sutton wasn't sure if people in Starfleet were just that nice or if he was just that happy to be away from patrolling his post.

"What's your name," Sutton asked. The man looked down in mild curiosity without breaking his stride and she waited for his answer while still gazing down the hall.

"Why?"

_Why?_

How could she explain it in a way that didn't make her sound mental? He'd never be able to understand the weight of the revelation she'd experienced these last few months. She couldn't explain the way her thought process had shifted since she began her experience through worlds. Still, she searched for some sort of explanation.

"Because you're an actual person," she said, "and I try to remember people who're nice to me."

He made a sort of pleased humming sound and looked to soften his posture from the rigid shoulders he'd previously been sporting.

"I'm Cadet Sayyid Karimi."

_Cadet._

"Oh no, you're new, aren't you?"

His chest puffed out a bit in pride despite Sutton's sudden pallor.

"This is my first assignment," he said. "I got the Enterprise because I was one of the top of my class."

He grinned as if that should be impressive, which it probably was, but now Sutton had a name and a face attached to a _fresh out of Starfleet Academy_ _red-shirt_. He might as well have taken out a family photo and told her about the loved ones he'd left on earth. The man had such a large target on his back that it would've been almost laughable when this world was nothing more than a film.

 _She deserved this._ She deserved to know the very people she would be the downfall of. Her chest opened with that hollow feeling once again. Med-bay was just ahead now; Sutton breathed a stuttering sigh.

"Do me a favor would you, Sayyid?"  
He tilted his head down at her in response and Sutton hoped at least one person would take her warnings to heart.

"Some bad stuff is about to go down, just- try to stay in the center of the ship, or something? Like, away from the outer walls?"

Sayyid's expression changed instantly from curiosity to concern. The doors to med-bay hissed open and he continued to walk her into the room as a few nurses rushed over and forced her back onto a bed.

"What do you mean?"  
Sutton was a little busy fighting back nurses now, but she still heard his question even as one of the nurses shot her a dirty glare.

"If you do not comply we will be forced to restrain you, do you understand? Do you want to be strapped to the bed?"  
That caused her to instantly still as she acknowledged Cadet Karimi once more.

"I mean that Khan is a bigger threat than any of you are anticipating and Admiral Marcus will be here anytime to shoot you out of space! So, please, if no one is going to take action, at least try to get out of harm's way!"

If she were future Spock she didn't doubt that they'd actually listen to her. Pity she was just a banged up, mystery woman.

The nurses calmed as Sutton sat still and sulking on the bio-bed, although one still put a passcode on the doors so that only those who knew the code would be able to leave. Cadet Karimi frowned at her profession, his fingers tapping idly on the metal case as he mulled the information over. Sutton's eyes snapped to the case when the movement caught her attention.

"I can prove it," she said suddenly.

Cadet Karimi and a couple eavesdropping nurses gave her their attention and Sutton pressed on.

"Your medical devices and tech don't work on me, do they? None of your medications work. It's because I'm from another dimension. There's a watch in that case, a fob watch. Well, more than that. If you open it you're tech will work on me. Please, there's not much time."

She watched as Sayyid looked over to the nurse in charge and the woman shrugged.

"She's not wrong. Our tricorders hardly even register as a living being."

The cadet hesitated a moment then sighed, his shoulders dropping as he opened the case.

"I'm so going to captain's mast for this."

With a couple shakes the fob watch fell into his hand and he pressed the button that popped the hinge and revealed the watch face. Sutton felt no different after the watch was opened, but the nurse in charge let out a surprised huff as she looked down at the device in her hand.

"It's working now," the woman said. "I can get a full body scan."

"Has your tricorder ever malfunctioned before," Sayyid asked. The nurse glared briefly as if personally insulted.

"Of course not. These are top of the line and fully operational. We maintain them regularly."

He shut the watch and the tricorder beeped.

"No new readings are coming in again."

The nurse's eyes widened after she fiddled with the tricorder, going over the readings she'd been able to take, and she quickly turned to another nurse beside her.

"Get me Dr. McCoy if you can, let him know we need a cardiologist immediately."

The lanky man ran over to a comm panel in the wall and Cadet Karimi dropped the watch back in the case and snapped it closed.

"We're going to be under attack? By one of our own admirals?"  
"In a few minutes tops, yes!"

"Then we need to find the captain."

Despite the medical team's protests and some shouted insistences that Sutton could not over exert herself in her current state, Sutton followed the cadet, who obviously had seen the entered passcode, back out of med-bay and into the hall.

"Kirk should probably be back in the brig by now," Sutton panted. "They found bodies inside the torpedoes."

"What? That can't be true, that's insane!"  
Sutton didn't bother responding. There wasn't time and she didn't have the energy. With Sayyid leading the way they reached the brig much more quickly than Sutton had on her own. At the secured doors, Sayyid entered a code and they slid open just as Kirk's voice rang out in the room.

"-ere a man in that torpedo?"

"There are men and women in all those torpedoes, captain. I put them there."

The sound of Khan's voice, low and subdued, had Sutton seeing black spots despite her efforts to remain focused. She couldn't breath. Her skin felt tight and her injuries flared in a sharp pain as if reminding her that they were there. She was suddenly back in that small room, a shadow over her that she tried not to see.

_I am going to hurt you again and again, do you understand?_

Broken beakers and ruined experiments, her only success in a struggle she couldn't win.

_Only you can stop this._

His hands were so large, his fingers almost piercing with pressure, her skin burned.

_There is no one to help you._

Pain in her side that didn't stop. Fingers popped and exploded while she twisted in vain.

_You will tell me what I want to know._

"What are you doing in here?"  
Sutton wheezed, laying a hand on her chest while trying to right herself as the room slowed. When had it even started spinning?

It was Spock who had spoken, he was looking sternly upon her and her escort, though it was hard to tell what he was thinking due to his lack of expressed emotion. Kirk frowned, clearly already frazzled without any additional issues to worry about.

"I said to escort her back to med-bay, cadet," he snapped. "This is obviously _not_ med-bay."

"Sir, she says she's-"

"From another dimension? Yeah, we heard that part already now-"

"But the tricorders, they-"

"Cadet, get her back to med-bay immediately!"  
Her head was already swimming as it was. Her stomach still ached and her thoughts were fuzzy. Sutton didn't have the time nor the patience to go through another argument when she now knew how much time she had left to act. She wasn't exactly thinking rationally when she reached over and wrenched the phaser from Cadet Karimi's holster and pointed it at her own chest. She was only marginally aware of the widening eyes and shocked expressions as she pulled the trigger without hesitation before the weapon could be wrestled from her grasp.

The phaser went off, a bright beam of light shot from the end of the nozzle and hit her square in the chest. Sutton stumbled back a few steps, a tingling feeling briefly stinging across her body, but she otherwise remained unharmed. It may have only been set to stun, but there was no doubt it should have at least knocked her out cold. A shocked silence rang through the room and Sutton handed back the phaser to a frozen Sayyid. She breathed deeply twice, her shoulders hunched and hair probably wild around her face.

"My name is Sutton Regan. I am from another dimension and you _will listen_ to me. You only have _moments_ before Admiral Marcus arrives to _kill you all_ to start a war with Klingon. The man in that cell is Khan Noonien Singh and he also plans to kill you all and free every last Augment that are in those torpedoes. You have to act _now."_

Kirk was the first to shake out of his stupor, Spock was still staring at her with unblinking eyes as if trying to piece together what had just happened.

"Yeah," Kirk stammered out. "Right. Ok. Cadet; get out an announcement immediately that the crew should be prepared for a potential hostile encounter."

"Yessir."

Sutton caught Sayyid's sleeve before he moved out of reach and she shot him a pleading look while her jaw remained tense.

"Please. Stay away from the outer walls."

He nodded and, after a thought, passed the case of her things into her hands. The warm metal felt like it actually seared her skin as she mouthed a _'thank you'_ and let go of his sleeve, watching as he sprinted out the brig exit and booked it back down the hall.

Sutton kept her gaze determinedly off Khan as she refaced the room. She could see his figure from her peripheral vision, and that alone was enough to send her heart racing in a painful way.

"Are you trying to say that Marcus worked alongside this... _Khan_ ," Spock asked. As ever, his voice was even but Sutton could interpret that he was dubious of her claims.

"I'm saying that Marcus was using Khan to further his own agendas."

"Why would Marcus violate every regulation he vowed to uphold simply to exploit this man's intellect?" His already high brow ticked up higher and Sutton read it as the Vulcan equivalent of unimpressed disbelief. She could see the black shadow of Khan move to stand and pace around his cell as he spoke again.

"He wanted to exploit my savagery." His voice was cutting and scornful and unsettled more than just Sutton, if the stiffening stances were anything to go by.

"Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break-"

_"Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break bone."_

Sutton quoted the line in perfect unison with Khan, although her voice shook noticeably and she trembled as she did so. It succeeded in bringing the focus back on her before Khan could spiral the conversation away and distract them further.

"He's distracting you now," she said. "Marcus is a few lines of dialogue away. Get shields up, do something!"

Kirk was suddenly moving, taking long strides until he broke out into an actual run.

"Lieutenant," he said passing a nearby red-shirt, "move Khan to med-bay, post six security officers on him."

"Wait! Not that!"

Spock was on Kirk's heels as they exited the brig and he glanced quickly back at Sutton as she tried to keep up with them before he caught the attention of the same lieutenant.

"Ensure she makes it back to med-bay as well."

Sutton's pace staggered as she gaped at the Vulcan.

"What? No, I –you can't!"

Gold and blue disappeared through the automatic doors as the men disappeared from sight and Sutton felt a pressure at her elbow.

"This way, miss."  
A red-shirt began leading her towards the doors, and Sutton could see others cuffing Khan before they allowed him to exit the cell. Her entire body stiffened when his boot stepped passed the barrier and out into the open. Although she was not forced to walk alongside Khan and the troop of guards, she could still feel his presence hot at her back as they made their way down halls that were starting to now grow familiar.

When she reentered med-bay for what she hoped was the last time, everyone turned to look and the head nurse pointed an accusing finger at Sutton as if she were the criminal here.

"There she is! Doctor, you saw, those scans showed every sign of rapid degradation. If it continues to progress-"

"I know how heart failure works, thank you."  
Bones was back, wearing a different set of doctor's scrubs for some reason and he was torn between the tense conversation now happening on the bridge and the new mass of people invading his station. And as Kirk and the admiral began to speak, with their exchange being broadcast throughout the ship, Sutton suddenly knew.

There was nothing about this moment she could change.

This conversation would go the way it had originally, no bits of knowledge or action on her part would be able to help. Because when push came to shove Marcus had a giant death ship with guns at the ready and no qualms with killing innocents for what he saw as "the greater good". If anything any insight or foreknowledge from her would only make the man that much more eager to pull the trigger on them.

"Sit down, kid. Over here."

Bones diverted his attention long enough to gesture to the bed farthest away from Khan, which still wasn't far enough for Sutton's liking. Even with the six guards posted on him and the handcuffs, Sutton knew that he was a force to be reckoned with.

But Bones' sort-of pet name, although lacking all sentiment and said with a gruff distractedness, reminded her of the Avengers and only served to endear the doctor to her even more. Sutton had always liked Leonard McCoy, even if she'd never actually met him before now. She pulled herself up onto the bed he'd designated; her entire left leg burned and that was probably one of the least of her injuries.

The screens in the room displayed the conversation going on up in the bridge and Sutton briefly noted that Khan declined to watch the interaction and sat with his ever straight posture while facing the doorway. Even if the admiral was no better than Khan in the end, she couldn't make herself feel bad for any discomfort the Augment might be feeling at the moment.

Marcus was a harsh looking old man. His pale, white wrinkled skin and receding hairline spoke of the wear of time and years of a consuming career. One might try to say he looked frail, but that description wasn't quite accurate. It completely ignored the sternness of his posture and the shrewd cut of his eye that only a man who was used to giving orders and being obeyed possessed. He made Sutton uneasy without even being in the same room as her or knowing she existed in the first place. He didn't frighten her in the same way Khan did, she didn't have first hand interaction with him, but he was unsettling in the way a politician who had garnered too much power was.

Bones' moved around her with his own tricorder while he kept an ear on the conversation.

"This isn't working."  
The nurse from before gestured to Sutton.

"Open your watch again."

Sutton clutched her case tighter in her left hand, bringing it close to her chest without actually touching her ribs.

"No."

She got frowns all around for that, though it didn't phase her.

"D*****, you're going to die," Bones said. "I can't help you if you don't let me."

"I have someone looking for me. I can't risk it. Anyway, it's not important right now."

Bones jerked backwards while one of his brows arched high on his forehead in disbelief. He glared at the nurses behind him.

"Oh, not important," he mimicked. "It's not important!"  
Sutton set her case in between her legs before reaching out and quickly gripping Bones by his shirt and pulling him close. If he wasn't grumpy and disgruntled before, he was now.

"What the-"

"Get more of his blood."

"Excuse me?"

She let go of him, letting her hand drop into her lap when she saw that she had his attention. Her next words were spoken lowly as if to not be overheard.

"As stupid as it sounds, Khan's blood can cure death. Believe me, you _need_ to pull more of it."

**[][][][][]**

Jane found herself hefted up by Loki and tossed on the sandy ground before Malekith as a sort of goodwill gift between two evil parties. And then, to her horror, she was levitated off the ground and the Aether was sent humming through her blood and up right under her skin. Her arms fell out to her sides as the element coursed through her and she opened her mouth in a silent gasp. She could feel it as the Aether fled from her veins to attach itself to a more suitable host. It flowed like liquid smoke up and bled out of her mouth and eyes, pulling and draining until she was empty of its presence and was dropped carelessly back to the ground.

She was dazed and disoriented and suddenly things were happening quickly around her. Jane's eyes searched for Thor only to find him standing and completely whole, his hammer held to the sky while lightning crackling hotly over him. And then she was being pushed down into the ground, shielded, as a blinding light leapt forth and exploded within the Aether itself. Shards of blood red crystal sprayed out around them and the battlefield seemed to disappear outside this moment.

Jane peeked out from under the green and leather sleeve of Loki to see the Aether pieces spin and twist. The crystal pieces were pulling themselves back together and it was turning fluid once again, seemingly obeying Malekith's silent beckoning. Thor was tense off to the side, gripping Mjolnir's handle with white knuckles before looking behind him.

"Father!"  
Loki stood, pulling Jane with him, and shuffled them both off out of the direct line to Malekith. The Dark Elf was standing with arms outstretched upwards, staring at the powerful substance above him with a dark, triumphant glee as it began to flow towards him. Through the haze of the planet's atmosphere and the chaotic movements of the raging battle, it was hard for Jane to truly see anything; but Odin's gleaming armor managed to stand out against the gray-toned landscape. In his hand was Gungnir and he wielded it without hesitation, swinging it forward and aiming it directly at Malekith. A bright, golden blast shot out of the spear and slammed directly into Malekith's chest. The elf had been distracted by his prize, and the blast sent him flying backwards several yards. Everything was so fantastical and had happened so quickly that Jane truly expected him to get back up, to rise bruised but majorly unbothered and fight back. But his form was still, wisps of smoke rising from his body as it settled into the dirt.

The Aether above their heads, however, was not so still.

It convulsed and spiked in the air, as if it were a living thing and angry about the death of its host. There was a malice to its movements, sharp, twisting motions that reminded Jane of an angry cornered predator. Next to her, Loki threw up his hands and a green aura manifested around them. More green appeared in the air, twisting around the Aether and trying to box it in. Thor was fighting more elves as they came rushing in. His blows were no less harsh than previously, but his face was alight with an enthusiasm that it had lacked before.

"Thor! The container! I can't hold it forever!"  
"Well hold it a bit longer! I'm busy at the moment!"

Jane could see a glint of something that had previously been hidden by Thor's cape. A small rectangular case was clipped to his belt and it seemed to Jane that the box was the only real option for trying to contain the Aether on hand. Jane scrambled to her feet while trying to fight through the layers of silky skirt that fell around her legs; her eyes were locked on Thor as she took off across the battlefield. Her sandaled feet dug into the loose dirt as she managed to dance around Asgardian soldiers and duck under incoming attacks. One masked elf made it too close while Thor was busy fighting off four others, and Jane could feel bile rise in her throat before something blurred across her vision and the elf dropped instantly. Her head whipped around to see what had happened only to see Loki with one arm outstretched while the other still reached upwards to contain the Aether. He shot her a look that said all it needed to.

_Hurry up._

Jane fell into Thor as he threw his hammer across the plain, hitting several elves and felling them in one go. Her fingers were cold and jittery with nerves as she tried to unclip the container from his belt while he was still moving. Thor glanced down at her, eyes softening before shooting back up to take in Loki's state. He helped her with the clasp and almost caught Mjolnir as an afterthought when it came hurtling back to him.

"Take it to the Allfather," he told her. "And Jane, be careful."

Jane nodded while clutching the box, breathless even before he pulled her close for a short searing kiss. Her eyes fluttered when they separated, a small grin pulling at her lips before the noise of warfare crept back in and Loki's irritated voice rose above even that.

"Any time now would be nice!"  
Thor nodded and Jane took off back the way she'd come. It seemed word of Malekith's fall was making its way around the battlegrounds, because more and more Dark Elves were pouring in with new aggression. A few noticed Loki's struggle and vulnerability and decided to target him, and his only defense was his fellow Asgardian soldiers as he began to quake under the strain of restraining the Aether. Jane was able to spot Odin near his adopted son, fighting alongside his people. She reached the king just as the tremors in Loki's arms and legs became worryingly visible and he put all his weight on one leg as he leaned back as if being pressed upon by a giant pressure. One hulking figure in the distance paused near Malekith's still corpse, looking down on it with a growing fury as the revelation that their leader was dead sunk in. With a bellowing cry it reached for something on its person and crushed it in their fist. To Jane's horror whatever the elf did was changing it, transforming it in the most painful looking way into an even larger looking monster.

Jane held out the clear container while her eyes darted back to the action before them. The monster of an elf was now heading their way, and Jane would rather not be in its way when it reached them.

"Here!"  
Odin hardly even glanced at her as he took her offering and faced the still churning Aether. Loki was loosing control of it, and it wouldn't be long before it broke free of his magical barrier completely.

He held the box up in the air with one hand, his other raising up and joining in with Loki's magic to begin to direct the Aether towards him. Loki obviously felt the tug of the additional magic, he glimpsed back at Odin and shifted his stance to be facing the king and seemed relieved to be finally be directing the force instead of just resisting it.

Jane did not know the mechanics of the container or the science behind why it was capable of containing an element too powerful to even be destroyed. No doubt she was curious, but now was not the place for inquiries or curiosity and she merely watched in awe as the two men worked to bring the largest part of this battle to an end. The red substance still fought against them, twisting and pulling away even as they began to force it into a more concentrated space. Eventually enough of it had been forced into the container that Loki was able to let up on his magic and he panted where he stood as Odin pushed the Aether the rest of the way in and shut the lid with what sounded like a definite _click_. Jane breathed a sigh of relief with them.

And then Thor's voice rang out to meet them, high and frantic.

"Father! Look out!"  
The brutish, disfigured follower of Malekith had reached them and he was more frightening up close, with dark bulging skin that seemed to split in some places and colorless eyes that looked out from a thick skull. He was thundering straight for Odin, his eyes locked on the contained Aether as he growled viciously from deep in his chest. Off to the side, Loki shifted. In the flurrying dirt and harsh wind he almost seemed to flicker as Jane watched him twist and move towards the Dark Elf. In his hand was one of his short daggers, and he leapt onto the elf just as Odin swiveled to meet the enemy.

Gungnir was already firing, hitting several other elves in the vicinity while arcing towards the main enemy.

"No! Wait!"  
Jane's warning came too late. Odin could not stop his momentum and his weapon did not distinguish between friend and foe. Both the Dark Elf and Loki were hit with the mighty weapon's blast. Thor's cry rang out over a now silent battlefield. The Asgardian soldiers were already outnumbering the elves, but the fall of their leader and their giant spelled out their end.

Thor ran across the dirt, falling next to Loki and crouching over his body as tears already spilled down his face. Odin was frozen next to Jane, his face was blank except for a sort of shocked disbelief that was easy to read in his one good eye and in the way his stance sagged at the scene before him.

Jane ran forward and came to a stop only feet behind Thor. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how. To her surprise, Loki was not instantly killed. Thor held his brother's head in his large hand as his other hovered over the smoking wound on his brother's side.

"Hold on," he choked out. "Just hold on. We'll get you back to the healers. They'll-"

Loki coughed while shaking his head weakly. His skin was already going pale and it was clear he was struggling to form words.

"No, Thor."

Jane saw that Loki had managed to bury his dagger into the side of the elf's temple before being hit. Her feelings about Thor's brother hadn't changed, but Jane still felt her breathing hitch at his act of heroism and what it had cost him. Thor's face was crumpling as he was forced to come to terms with the fate his little brother couldn't escape from.

"Father saw. He'll know what you did for him. What you did for all of Asgard."

Another gurgling cough rasped up out of from Loki's chest and he was able to give his brother one last small smile.

"I-I didn't do it f-for him."

Jane's trembling hand came up to cover her mouth as Loki let out one last rasping sigh and then went still in Thor's arms.


	26. How To Save A Starship

Things couldn't be going anymore belly up than they already were. Sutton hadn't managed to change anything. Bones had just succeeded in pulling two more vials of blood from a irritated looking Khan when the Enterprise shook and careened under not-so-friendly fire and sent crew members struggling to stay on their feet. The lights flickered and supplies fell from their places and Sutton hoped Sayyid had listened to her. Carol had fled the med-bay at Khan's warning of not being able to escape at warp. Sutton had tried to cry out for the woman to stay, to have someone else tell Marcus that his daughter was on this ship so he couldn't just beam her off the Enterprise, but she was out the door without a backwards glance.

Sutton was still seated on the bio bed, her belongings clutched in her left hand as she kept her eyes glued on Bones. He'd procured a fuzzy, dead tribble, _Sutton didn't want to know why he kept those on hand_ , and was testing to see if her claim that Khan's blood could reverse death was true.

When a shock of blond hair and piercing blue eyes appeared through the doors of med-bay Sutton was already on her feet. There was no way she could let another opportunity to stop Khan go to waste. By the time he was through the door she was crashing into him with wide-eyes and a growing lack of respect for personal space.

"Now's really not the best time for that. Maybe later."

Kirk tried to move her to the side as he continued on his way to Khan, but Sutton kept herself between them. Her back felt exposed and vulnerable with Khan right behind her, but she had to push that anxiety aside if she wanted to stop Kirk from making the mistake of asking Khan for help.

"No, you can't do this. You can't ask him to help. That's exactly what he's counting on."

"I don't really have a choice. You heard Marcus; the guy has his entire arsenal pointed at us and he's not going to just leave because we ask nicely."

"You can't. I'm telling you, you can't."

Sutton tried to think while sucking in lungfuls of air knowing that they didn't have time for alternate plans.

"I-I can fix it. I can disable his weapons, I just have to-"

She closed her eyes to focus and attempted to believe the weapons on the Vengeance were permanently disabled. That since Scotty had snuck on board that ship before it even reached them, he'd have been able to pull a wire or core out of place that would throw everything off. It was possible, that scenario would have actually been probable if the plot hadn't called for a final battle. But her body was weak. She could actually feel her muscles losing strength and her lungs deflating as she tried to think. Sharp pain radiated from her chest and head, but she clenched her eyes and pressed on.

Calloused fingertips glided from her right shoulder down to her elbow, pressing more firmly as they reached the crease in her arm and causing a wave of blind panic to shoot through Sutton's spine and push all further thoughts from her head. It was a familiar touch. Three short gasps left her, as if she was trying to catch her breath, and she pressed further into Kirk. The captain pulled her away, swiveling her almost behind him as he glared at their prisoner.

"Don't touch her," he snapped. "You don't get to touch her ever again, understand?"

Khan held up his still cuffed hands in a mocking surrender. Sutton tried to rise from her hunched position and could tell she hadn't done herself any favors with how weak she was suddenly feeling. Her mind was still in a tizzy; flashing thoughts and bursts of emotion made it impossible to concentrate on anything.

"Now I know that you have something up your sleeve, and I know you'll probably try to betray us, but I don't really have much of a choice. You know the layout of that ship."

Khan's gaze hardened as his chin tilted up the longer Kirk talked.

"I designed it," he said. "Dreadnought class: two times the size, three times the speed, advanced weaponry, modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels it's built solely for combat. Without my help, you won't make it through the ship in time to save your crew."

Kirk pursed his lips, not tearing his gaze from Khan as he obviously struggled with the decision he was forced to make.

"If you twitch, if you even _look_ at anyone the wrong way, you're getting stunned in the face, understand?"  
Sutton could only watch, still shocked into silence, as Khan dipped his head marginally and a faint trace of a smile rose to his eyes.

"Of course, _captain_."

The guards removed the cuffs at the order of their captain and Sutton shuffled frantically away from the two men and back towards Bones, who'd managed to look up from his tribble for a moment at all the commotion.

"Bad," Sutton muttered to herself. "Bad, bad, bad."

Khan rolled and flexed his wrists as if the cuffs had chafed, but Sutton could only see him doing it for show. He caught her gaze and she froze beneath it. A hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch, but it was only Bones, who was grumpier looking than usual.

"You should let the good doctor treat you," Khan goaded. "You look like you're about to catch your death."  
She scowled but didn't respond as Kirk and his team led Khan from the room.

_She'd die before she opened that watch in this universe again_.

Her stomach dropped further as the group disappeared around a corner to enact their plan. The skin on her arms tingled and prickled while the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"He's going to do it soon. Whatever it is. He's done something to this ship just like he did something to the Vengeance."  
Bones squeezed her shoulder as he sat back down next to his still-dead tribble.

"What 're you talking about, kid? Did what?"  
"I don't know! What is...?" She worked to remember what Khan had said he'd done. It was like wading through syrup as her mind struggled to keep up with the constant stream of anxiety and adrenaline it was processing. "What's ' _modifying command controls_ '? That's what he said about the Vengeance."

Bones' face twisted as he mulled over the information.

"Modified command controls? That'd be-" He cut himself off as his face suddenly went ashen. He cursed. And then he cursed three more times as he leapt off his chair and sprinted for the hall. Sutton darted after him, her boots thumping an uneven rhythm as the knee brace kept her from fully extending her leg.

"What? What is it?"  
"Well it ain't good!"

"Obviously!"

She followed him into a lift and Bones fidgeted as they made the trip up to the bridge.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"If it's what I think it is," he snapped, "then Khan gave himself the ability to fully take over that ship's infrastructure."

When the doors opened to the bridge, the voices of both Kirk and Khan could be heard as Spock started directing them through the debris field left from the attack on the Enterprise as they shot towards the enemy ship. Bones cursed again as he eyed the monitor showing Kirk as already being in space.

"Spock, you gotta call Jim back here. It's a trap."

Spock didn't flinch. He finished rattling off degrees and coordinates that the pair should immediately avoid before dutifully acknowledging his colleague.

"The captain is very well aware that Khan is-"

"No, d*****, listen to me. It's a _trap_. Khan modified the command controls on that ship!"  
Spock blinked as his mouth ticked down on one side.

"If that is true then, theoretically, Khan could have sole control over the vessel's systems with a simple code or phrase to the computers."

Bones looked nearly ready to choke the life out of the Vulcan as his face turned blotchy and red.

"Yes, you _green-blooded hobgoblin!_ So you have to get Jim back here now!"

Spock's brow pressed together and his mouth opened and shut quickly and that was his display of what might've been distress.

"I'm afraid it's too late to call off the mission now. And the captain and Khan are sharing a comm feed. Any attempts to warn him will only alert Khan as well."

"Yeah?" Bones sneered with a curled lip and bugged eyes. "Well how much difference do you think that'll make now? Dear lord. He could kill Jim the minute they land on that ship! He doesn't need him at all. Think, man!"

"He could have done the same thing to the Enterprise."

Sulu was continuing to direct Kirk and Khan's flight path, but others had gone quiet at Sutton's statement. She had both Bones and Spock's attention as she stood limply between them.

"I told you; he probably got aboard while you were looking for him on Kronos. I tried to tell you."

An alarm on Sulu's control panel suddenly started blaring.

"I've lost Khan. Captain, can you see him?"

_[I've got no visuals. Scotty! Tell me you're going to open that door!]_

And then after a few moments of tension everything seemed to happen at once. Khan popped back on their radar, Kirk pleaded to a mute Scotty with increasingly frantic cries, the cargo door actually opened, and then it was silent. They would have no communication with them now until they were able to take over the ship. Any transmissions over comms they attempted would be blocked by the Vengeance's shields. Sutton felt sick as the quiet settled around the bridge. Bones looked every bit as ill as she felt.

Anything could be happening right now. Khan could turn on them the moment they got to their feet and there was nothing they could do about it. She could feel her stomach clench as she fought back the urge to dry heave.

"I killed him. I killed Captain Kirk. Oh, _God_ , help."

"You don't know that."

Bones was snippy and frazzled. His captain and friend was in harm's way, the entire crew was, and there was no immediate good choice to turn to. The Enterprise had taken some damaging fire. They were lucky to have made it back through warp this close to earth as it was.

Sutton briefly wondered if Cadet Sayyid was ok. She wondered if he'd been able to warn anyone in time.

Whether Spock was running through every possible scenario in his head or merely overcoming shock, it took him a moment before he spoke.

"Lieutenant Uhura, is it possible to open a channel with New Vulcan?"  
"I can try."  
Sutton tried to wade through the mind-numbing panic and urge to just give up. The amount of effort she was putting into just breathing and staying awake was mildly concerning her. She was hungry and she knew that she wasn't clever enough to outwit a being genetically engineered for the sole purpose of being _better_.

What could she do? What could she do that she hadn't already tried?

No. No; giving up wasn't an option. She was the one responsible for changing this already altered timeline. She had chosen to ignore the Doctor's warnings to get what she wanted, and now she was responsible for setting this right. Or giving everything she had in trying to. Lying on the ground and closing her eyes and forgetting everything wasn't an option.

"All Future Spock will tell you is that he is the greatest adversary the Enterprise has ever faced. That he won't hesitate to kill every one of you and that you were able to defeat him before, but at a great cost. Hold on, let me think!"  
She ran through what she knew of the movie based off this. They had only defeated Khan through trickery and luck, in the end. But Khan knew about that now. They couldn't arm those torpedoes and set the timer. He wouldn't take them and they'd be in heaps more trouble than they were now.

How had the crew originally beaten Khan in the original timeline when they were older and had more experience? Sutton could still remember watching _Space Seed_ and _The Wrath of Khan_ with her mother on some of their girl nights when she was much younger.

" _These are some of my favorites from the series,"_ her mom had said. _"They always make science fiction so depressing nowadays. I've always liked that Star Trek is so hopeful."_

_"Mom, you said that you think Captain Kirk is cute."_

_"Well, there's that too."_

In the original timeline they had defeated Khan because, while formidable, the Augment had still not fully gained an understanding of three-dimensional warfare. With no gravity, no earth to stop you or sky to limit you, space added a degree to battle strategy that Khan had not had the chance to master. If the original universe influenced this universe in any way, if attributes of both Khans had somehow melded together, maybe they had a chance. Maybe.

"He might not know three-dimensional warfare," she managed to sputter out. "That worked once."

The amount of people on the bridge openly staring at her was unsettling and only felt like a further accusation of her crimes. Sulu was half turned in his chair to look at her and he had one eyebrow arched high on his forehead. Sutton wasn't sure if it was just confusion or disbelief.

"What?"  
"It's whenever you can, like, go underneath-"

"Yes," interrupted Spock, "we are aware of the dynamics of three-dimensional warfare. What makes you believe that Khan would be ill prepared for it?"  
Sutton continued taking quick, panting breaths that seemed to have become her new normal.

"Well, he wasn't prepared for it at least once. And he still doesn't have experience with it now."

It grew quiet again as they seemed to mull the idea over, and Sutton sighed. She stared resolutely at the floor as she haltingly voiced another confession.

"You can't do the whole 'send him empty, armed torpedoes' trick. He knows about that."

She winced and swallowed before licking her lips nervously. Their eyes were hot on her skin but she couldn't force herself to look at them. There would be betrayal in their eyes, she just knew it, and she couldn't stomach it right now.

"What kind of dimension are you _from_ , kid?"  
Sutton laughed humorlessly, a tinge of desperation tainting the sound.

"When? A couple weeks ago? A month ago? Originally? It doesn't really matter at this point."  
Spock ignored that last interaction to focus on the more imminent issue.

"Even with a thought out offensive attack, the odds of success are low. The Enterprise has been all but completely crippled and the Vengeance is still fully operational. However, it also seems to be our only choice."

"Commander, we're being hailed!"

_"Commander, shield levels are wavering!"_

Their view screen flickered to life and Khan's face appeared front and center. He was holding Kirk up next to him by his arm and Sutton felt her stomach roll at the blood at Kirk's lips.

He was alive, though, for the moment.

Khan's gaze flickered over the room, fast enough to seem like a fleeting glance but Sutton knew he'd gleaned everything he needed to with that one look. Spock stiffened in the captain's chair and a prickling dread sank into the room. Sutton bit her bottom lip harshly as a visible smirk tugged at Khan's lips.

"I won't waste time on pleasantries," he said. "I'm sure a little bird has warned you as best they could of what is to come."

There was a chime from Sulu's console that caused a flurry of movement from him and Sutton didn't like the look on his face when he turned back in his seat to look at Spock.

"Commander," he said in a tone to no be overheard, "our shields have been deactivated. I've been locked out of the system and can't bring them back up."

There was a chime from Khan's feed as well, and he grinned openly when he heard it.

"Perfect timing, I trust that my people are still in their torpedoes, thanks the warnings you've received."

"Spock," Kirk gasped, "you've gotta-"

Khan hit Kirk over the back of the head and the captain's body fell to the floor with a sickening _thump_. He then left Kirk where he lay as he moved over to his own console and hit a few points on the screen.

"Computer, beam the seventy-two torpedoes into the main cargo bay."

_[Voice command authorized. Beaming torpedoes onboard.]_

The torpedoes were nowhere near her, but she could hear it. She could see the golden beams of light in her mind's eye as they wrapped around each casing and could hear the faint tinny, ringing as their only bartering chip was stolen away.

Easy. She'd made it so, horrifically easy.

She was propped up against the back of the captain's chair and that was the only thing keeping her from meeting the floor in a fashion similar to Kirk's. There was a painful, burning pulse in her chest as her heart _thump, thump, thumped_ against her ribcage. Khan's eyes turned to the view screen again, landed on her, and her entire body went cold. The blood pooled somewhere in her toes and her muscles went stiff beyond her conscious control. Concrete thoughts escaped her as his sharp blue eyes locked with her own.

"Open your pocket watch," he said. "Or I will kill everyone on this bridge with you watching."

Sutton couldn't move her fingers currently, let alone fumble with the opening mechanism on a watch. He wanted to beam her onboard too.

_He wanted to keep her_.

The sharp pains across her body flared at the thought, the strain in her fingers making itself more than apparent at the reminder of their treatment. A bit belatedly she realized it wasn't the captain's chair that was moving, but herself trembling. Desperately, she tried to find words.

"You-you'll do that anyway; to all of them."

Khan flashed teeth in response.

"Perhaps only because you believe it," he taunted. "But the choice is yours. Can you really risk it? I can end the lives of this crew whether you decide to cooperate or not."

The terror in the room was palpable; Sutton could taste it sour on her tongue. Her left hand fumbled for the case in her pocket even as she found herself unable to break Khan's gaze. He merely watched expectantly as she moved. The hand on her shoulder was hot and felt like it branded her skin and Sutton was able to break her gaze away from Khan. Bones frowned down at her, obvious concern mingled with fear behind the shine of his eyes.

"Do you know what you're doing," he asked in a hushed whisper. "You just said it, this guy is gonna kill us all anyway."

"I have to fix this."

His eyes flitted over her form; she didn't want to hear his assessment of her current condition.

"If you don't get medical help right away, you're going to d-"

"I'm _going to fix this._ "

There was always the chance that it was too late or that she wouldn't be able to do anything helpful anyway. But at this point she might just be the only one who had a chance. Her fingers curled around the case and she pushed open the top with her thumb.

"Promise me you won't hurt them if I go with you."

"I will beam the captain and his crew back to his ship once I have you on board."

Sutton shuddered. It was far from a promise. She was reminded of the fairy stories her grandmother used to tell her when she was young. There was always a play on words to be wary of. Khan's showed he had no intention of giving her reassurances. Still, if it could buy the Enterprise a few more minutes, she had to do it.

No one moved to stop her as she pulled the fob watch from the case once again. Maybe they hoped she really would be able to help, maybe they didn't know her well enough to care, or maybe they just all thought they were going to die anyway. It was silent as death as she pressed on the side button and watched as the cover popped open. There was a sharp pain as something was rammed into her neck, and Sutton jerked with a yelp. Bones pulled a hypo-spray away from her throat and settled her with a serious, set face.

"Disable that ship," he said. "I don't want to die in the disease-ridden-"

Warm light interrupted his tirade, and Sutton did all she could to maintain her composure as she felt her very molecules shifting. One moment she was standing on the bright, clean Enterprise bridge and the next she wasn't.

For one split moment as she materialized again, Sutton felt a fire in her veins. Her muscles and joints felt raw, as if she'd shoved them under hot water and tried to scrub them clean far too harshly. And then, as she felt herself solidify and could see the new environment around her she snapped the front of the watch closed and the sensation disappeared. When she felt solid again and could see the much dimmer shapes of the enemy ship solidify around her Sutton darted backwards. She shoved the watch back into the case and shoved the case in her pants pocket all while her heart picked up speed. It hurt only marginally less than it had before. She realized, with some belated surprise, that Bones had probably stabbed her with a vial of Khan's blood.

Well, no matter the health benefits, she wasn't opening that watch again.

The dark form she knew to be Khan shifted as he beamed the missing crew members back to their ship. Sutton's breath caught in her throat. She had moments, if that, to save their lives. Without the torpedoes to detonate, there was nothing to damage the weapons and stop the Vengeance's attack.

If there were ever a time to be clever, it'd be now.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Having Jane back in the lab further tipped the scales nicely in favor of actual scientists over pestering SHIELD agents. Tony still didn't get why it was any of their business to interfere with his work, but Axel was about as persistent as a tick on a dog and it would take too much effort to try and shake him off. Or, you know, kick him out.

But with Jane's research and Jane herself, Tony felt like he might be able to breath a little easier for the first time in weeks. Numbers were starting to add up correctly and they had a list of universal codes to work off of in their search for Sutton's frequency. And while Jane dove back into the research, especially regarding the readings from the Tesseract and the Aether, it was obvious that she had gone through some sort of ordeal. She didn't bring it up and Tony didn't ask. He had his own space induced nightmares to sort through without finding out about whatever it was she'd witnessed in her time amongst the stars. She insisted on staying and working despite the reassurances that she didn't need to feel obligated to. The information she'd managed to retrieve from Asgard had brought them huge leaps forward already and it was obvious that _something_ had happened to her while she had been gone.

"I told you I'd help get her back," she told Tony. "And if you think I'm letting this research out of my sight with that SHIELD agent still around, you're crazy."

And so another week passed with three of earth's top minds working on the impossible task non-stop. Tony was finally completing the finishing tweaks to the machine that would, theoretically, pull Sutton back to their earth. It was similar in function to the one he'd built in her dimension, but that's really as far as it went. It was obviously a great improvement to its predecessor thanks to the advanced technology available to him now. This finished device wasn't quite a door though. Since she could be anywhere, even off the earth itself perhaps, and wouldn't even know of its existence the machine couldn't be a mere doorway. Instead the machine would be able to lock onto her frequency and transport it to a set of coordinates of their choosing.

Tony was just adjusting what he hoped was a final wire when a commotion broke out across the lab. He could hear Jane and Reed's excited voices rise in volume as they began to flit about frantically.

"I found her," Reed called out. "Holy crap, I found her frequency!"

**[][][][][][][][]**

Sutton shifted on her feet, moving sideways to try and get a better angle to see from. A dark mass to her left caught her eyes and she immediately regretted looking the moment her eyes were drawn down. There was no food in her stomach to expel, but she dry heaved anyway.

Marcus' body lay crumpled and broken on the ground. His body was such a display of gruesome violence that it made any episode of _Criminal Minds_ she'd ever accidentally seen seem tame. The man was shattered in the most horrifying of ways. Sutton looked away as quickly as she could, but the scene was already seared into her mind.

_His head… oh gosh._

_Smashed snail, dropped watermelon, blood, blood, blood._

_No!_

She had to focus. Khan was beaming the crew back to the Enterprise, as promised, but even from behind him she could tell that his posture spoke of sinister intentions.

_"After all, no ship should go down without her captain."_

There had to be something; there was always something! She had to strip away the power from him somehow. If only she knew how any of this stupid technology worked!

The console arched before Khan and that seemed like her only real option of disabling anything. She didn't know how it worked but- Sutton's brain backtracked hurriedly as s tentative idea began to blossom. She hadn't known how that weird egg incubator worked either. All she had done was made assumptions and, in turn, made it fit her pattern of thinking.

Sutton hoped that the few brief moments Khan's blood had worked in her system had been able to heal some of her internal damage and was enough to get this done.

Knowing there were only mere seconds left to act, Sutton rushed to the far side of the console, to Khan's right. He was dangerously close to her now and her ribs felt like they were going to crack further under the strain of her pounding heart. There was a small, removable panel on the side, just like she thought there'd be, and she ripped it off without hesitation. Inside that compartment were a mass of wires and odd microchip looking pieces and Sutton reached in to mindlessly tear a fistful out. A few lights flickered and Khan spun in the captain's chair.

"What are you-"

Sutton hardly paused as she saw the confusion and fury flash across his face. She reached back in and tore out more wires. Something popped and something else fizzed. A red light on the console started to flash in warning. Khan stood suddenly, and Sutton flew back in a crab-walk before gaining enough balance to jump back to her feet.

"That doesn't make sense," Khan snapped as he studied the console. "Why would I design-" Sutton could see the dawning realization in his eyes as he looked back to her. His eyes were cold enough to cut.

"You did this."

She needed to get off this bridge right now. She needed to run far away from here. They both moved at the same time and Sutton's heart pulsed harshly in her throat, a horrid tingling shot through her body as she ran for the door. Her left foot hit Marcus' cooling corpse and she choked back a cry while managing not to fall. She stumbled into the opening lift, but it wasn't like Khan had very far to go.

_The doors are closed, the doors closed instantly! They aren't open._

A loud _bang_ vibrated behind her, and Sutton spun around. She could hardly breathe as she forced herself to look at the lift doors.

They were shut! She'd actually done it!

But another rattling blow reminded her that it wouldn't be for long if she didn't do something. The metal doors creaked loudly and she choked back a scream as she hit several of the floor buttons at once. The lights in the lift flickered slightly before it actually started to jolt downwards.

One last bang on the door startled her, lurching her forward and causing her shoulders to tense, but the doors remained closed. After a second that stretched too long, she let out a shaky breathe and ran her hand through her tangled hair.

She was still alive for one more moment. And now Khan didn't have unmitigated control of the vessel. But he could still fire on the Enterprise. Sutton chewed her bottom lip mercilessly. She needed to incapacitate the weapons system. That was a thing, right? Scotty hadn't totally disabled them because stealth and, and... she couldn't remember right now. But she had no choice.

None of the buttons said 'weapons bay' or 'gun hanger' or 'master controls', instead they were labeled by deck, which set her at a high disadvantage.

The lift sank at least two floors before it came to a sudden, jarring halt. Sutton's stomach dropped a floor lower than the elevator as she stumbled back and braced herself against the back wall. The doors didn't open when the lift settled. The lights remained on, which was a relief, but that was the only thing she had going for her. Sutton hit the button panel again, but the lift didn't budge.

_Khan._

It was most definitely his doing. Now he had her caged in a small tube probably in between decks. Sutton pushed herself off the wall and reached for the sliding doors. She couldn't afford to be locked up or spend time dawdling about it. Squeezing her left hand into the gap in the doors, she tried to pry it open, but found it impossible to do one-handed. Her arm was already sore and a bit of sweat had accumulated on her brow when she came to the conclusion that she'd have to try using both hands. She squinted her eyes closed and took a few quick breaths before shoving her right hand into the tight gap with her left. Her teeth clenched together as she tried to at least wiggle her hand in so that her palm was doing most of the work, but splintering pain still shot up her arm as she pried at the doors.

Whether she was able to open the doors because she believed she could or through sheer force alone, Sutton didn't know. All she knew was that they finally flew open and she was staring at the inside of an elevator shaft that descended down into a black abyss. A tingling shot through her feet as she stared down at the drop below her. It wasn't like there was a large gap between the lift and the wall, but it was enough to be able to make mistakes. Sutton cradled her right hand near her chest and scanned the wall in front of her for any sort of potential exit. Given how large the ship was "halfway" between floors could be quite a distance.

The elevator shaft was dim and only lit by a few lights here and there. Piping ran along the walls and there were blocks of metal that randomly jutted out from the wall every so often that probably had to do with electrical or some other mechanical functions. Sutton swallowed as she looked up. There was an inset in the wall about fifteen feet above her. That was as close to a floor as she was. Fifteen nail-biting feet. Fifteen feet that would have to be climbed with only one good hand if she wanted to get out of here.

Fifteen feet didn't seem like much until you were significantly wounded and fleeing from a homicidal madman.

"Do it," she urged herself. "Just do it. You have to. You have to fix this. _Do it, do it, do it._ "

She would have to lean out over the edge of the lift and over the drop in order to reach the wall.

_Being a normal height would be helpful right now_.

Sutton took a breath through her nose and filled her lungs before taking the plunge. Butterflies exploded from her gut as she felt her hands hit the cold, solid metal before her. Her feet still stood tiptoed on the floor of the lift and she was quick to curl her fingers around something before her arms started to shake. Her knees were already knocking. The fingers on her right hand screamed as she pulled up her body weight and stepped fully off the lift floor.

A long drop stretched beneath her and a toe-curling climb loomed above.

"Don't look down."

She reached with her left hand first, keeping a tight grip on the pipe her right hand was clamped around. The borrowed boots she wore were only just able to grip the thin ledge that several outcroppings provided. Her muscles were quivering dangerously by the time she reached the top of the elevator carriage, and she managed to hop back over on to its roof for a few moments of rest. She allowed herself a half a minute of limp muscles and panting breath before she girded herself once more to attempt and finish the climb.

The carriage beneath her shifted.

Sutton wobbled, there was a metallic groan, and then the lift started to rise.

"No, no, no. Don't do this!"

But it was happening. Khan must have called the lift back up, and now she was perched on top of it. She didn't have a choice.

The lift rose about ten feet and Sutton couldn't allow herself to think about it. She jumped. Her boots hit the indented ledge of the doorway and her arms snapped out to either side of the doorframe. She pressed herself up tightly against the still closed doors and her small size was the only thing saving her from being skinned by the still moving lift. Sutton only started to breathe again when the lift passed and she didn't feel a threatening rush of air at her back.

She had to pry open the door the same as she had the lift doors. This time, though, there was only her own balance keeping her from dropping down into the empty abyss behind her. Her feet tingled again at the thought. The doors wouldn't stay open when she pressed against them, so she was forced to slip through whatever gap she could temporarily create. Sutton lunged forwards, onto blessed solid ground, and the sliding doors slammed shut behind her.

A long, dark hallway stretched out to her left and right. Like the rest of the ship, the floors and walls seemed almost black and swallowed the little light provided by recessed lighting in the walls. Sutton took a tentative step to the left then paused and looked down to the right.

"Computer," she whispered, "can you show me a route to the weapons bay? Not using this lift."  
There was a faint popping noise, and then an almost static sound before a disembodied voice fell on her ears.

_[Voice-voice v- command not-no ...voice comm-ommand au-thorized.]_

Sutton shuddered. She didn't really want to hear a voice straight from a sci-fi horror flick right at this moment. But she must have really done a number to Khan's controls, because lights to her left flickered brighter and there was a pulsing blue light that shot down the length of the wall.

Sutton wheezed, wiped a bit of fresh blood off her top lip, and followed the light.


	27. The Trouble with Space Travel

Sutton hustled down a couple different halls and rode another lift down a few more floors, without incident this time, before the blue light guiding her stopped. By then she'd started to notice computer-like panels, like tall electrical servers, sitting in rows. That and the bodies. Security officers littered the floor, some were breathing and others most definitely weren't. Sutton shuddered and limped over to one whose chest she could still see moving and picked up the dropped phaser by his side. It was awkward in her grip, especially since it was in her non-dominant hand, and she made sure it was pointed away from her this time before moving on.

Was she in the weapon's bay now? That must've been why the light stopped flashing, right? Were these server things controlling the weapons functions and aiming? She thought they looked like they could be.

The silence of the room made her skin crawl rather than reassure her. It felt ominous and tense, like Khan might pop around a corner any moment. She already knew that the phaser wouldn’t do much to stop him.

…But it could probably damage the server things.

Sutton tightened her awkward hold on the weapon and eyed the panel next to her. It made sense that these would control weapons functions, didn't it? She had no delusions of what would happen the second she shot off her first round of phaser fire. If Khan didn’t already know where she was, that would surely get back to him.

She had to. This had to work.

Sutton adjusted her stance, feet apart for balance, and took aim at the nearest server. Light burst from the end of the phaser as she shot _one, two, three_ times at the equipment. Sparks and smoke exploded from the equipment as she paused to see if it had worked. More warm blood ran over her lips and a metallic tang crept into her mouth as she tried to take a breath. Somewhere in the distance an alarm went off.

 

The phaser went off several more times and three other stations went up in flame. There were more piercing alarms. Fire in space wasn’t exactly ideal, and Sutton began to distance herself from the damage. There was a loud hiss and Sutton turned to see a fire suppressant being released automatically. She shot at the panels a few more times just to make sure there'd be no saving them, even with super enhanced intelligence.

Sutton stumbled onward and away from the destroyed consoles, her vision was a little blurry and her left hand trembled before spasming and dropping the phaser back to the floor. There was a flickering shadow cast in the light of the dying flames and Sutton screamed as she was thrown to the floor. Her body went skidding across the metal floor until it was stopped with a _thud_ as she hit a wall. The breath was pushed from her lungs as she struggled to right herself and keep conscious.

 

“You meddling simpleton.”

  
  


Khan's growling voice echoed in the spacious bay and it added an additional menacing quality that only made Sutton's breath hitch all the more. He was stalking out of the shadows towards her and his posture and expression spoke of a raging fury.

“You’re destroying my ship with your ignorance,” he snarled. Sutton scooted away along the wall; it was hard for her boots to get traction on the smooth floor. Khan continued to stalk forwards and Sutton saw flashes of images in her panic.

 

_It was dim in a dark room, only a faint blue glow illuminating the space._

_She was alone with Khan. So, so alone._

_Gold boots kicking as she struggled against a cold, hard floor._

  
  


This couldn’t be happening again. She couldn’t breathe. He was too, too close and her legs wouldn’t stand. Khan reached her and hauled her up by her shoulders to be eye level with him.

“Those weren’t even the weapons controls before you came down here. Now my ship has been rearranged and simplified to an outrageous degree.”

Sutton coughed and drops of blood that were still coating her lips sprayed in Khan’s direction.

”But they are now,” she said. “And I broke them.”

There was a sagging relief as the words left her lips. A smile tugged at her face and a sigh shook her ribs.

“I did it. You can’t hurt them now.”

Khan’s jaw clenched as his eyes went flat, and Sutton could feel the pressure of his fingers dig more deeply into the tender skin around her shoulders.

“Perhaps not, not now, but you can’t say the same for yourself. You managed to disable my guns, but not the warp capabilities.”

  
  


He released her and Sutton dropped, the brace was the only thing that kept her leg from bending at too awkward of an angle, but pain still shot up all the way to her hip. She watched warily as he took a few steps away from her and hit a button on a nearby wall.

“Computer, set coordinates for deep space. Put us in warp factor four.”

  
  


There was a broken response from the computer, then the type of stillness that builds up right before a big leap, and Sutton felt her stomach drop.

  
  


[][][][][][]

 

“I’ve got coordinates set,” Tony hollered from his place next to his interdimensional transporter. “Tell me you’ve still got her!”

“She’s still there,” Jane replied. “But I’m starting to pick up some interference. There’s something popping up with a frequency that matches ours. It wants to-“

“If it’s not Sutton, it doesn’t matter. Block it!”

Jane and Reed both moved around each other to stabilize the input data and secure the lock on Sutton’s frequency.

“Ready?”

Reed warily eyed some readings scrolling across one of the holo-screens.

“Well, it’s probably as good as we’re going to get with-“

“Then let’s do this.”

Tony flipped a switch and pressed a button on his end of the lab and the data from the consoles was transferred over as his machine hummed to life.

  
  


[][][][][][]

  
  


Sutton screamed.

  
Khan was not near her. No one was touching her, but she was being shredded apart. Someone had stuck a fork deep in her muscles and was pulling them into strips. There was a humming underneath it all, but it was wrong. She crumpled into herself, forming a small ball on the floor as another terrible wave passed over her. There were flames eating her alive. Someone was twisting a serrated knife into her heart.  
“No. You do not get to leave-“  
Sutton thought she might’ve opened her eyes at the voice, but she couldn’t see anything. There was only inky blackness, then flashing blues and purples and white flicks of paint across a dark spinning canvas. There was, for a moment, a brief pressure around her feet, but by then Sutton was already flying back, back, and away.

[][][][][]

  
  


“I’m losing her signal! There’s too much interference!”

“Are you kidding me?”

Tony glared at Reed who was merely the bearer of bad news. Two different sets of numbers kept taking turns flashing on a screen as the lights in Stark Tower flickered. Jane tried adjusting a few settings, but the unfamiliar code still persisted, trying to override Sutton’s code despite their efforts.

“The device is going to try and pull the familiar code first,” she said. “But it’s too late to include it now; we’ve already finalized the settings. We should’ve-“

An alarm sounded from a panel nearby and Tony’s face went rigid at the sound. He pushed the others out of the way as he tried to stabilize the connection himself. The codes continued to flash as the machine began to lose its hold on Sutton’s signal.

“No, no, no! Get me more power running through the-“

  
  


A long tone rang out as the machine powered down.

  
  


Sutton’s signal was gone.

  
  


[][][][][][]

  
  


Tyrese had hung the mysterious Captain America shield on his bedroom wall two years ago. There it had stayed as a sort of shrine to his lost sister. It sat on the wall across from his bed so that it was the first thing he saw each morning when he got up for school. Around it, he'd tacked photos of Sutton, photos of Sutton and him, and a few 'A' graded projects he knew she'd be proud of. There it had stayed untouched and unbothered until it was just a routine part of his life.

Except for today.

Tyrese was leaning against his headboard lazily,  finishing up some homework last minute when a loud rattling startled him. When he looked up he could see the shield actually banging against the wall.

“Whoa!”

He jumped off his bed and pulled the shield off the wall. It vibrated wildly in his hands; he could feel it reverberate down to his bones. Nothing like this had happened the entire time he'd had the item in his possession and his eyes shone brightly even as he held the shield as far from his body as he could.

But the event didn't last very long. In only a couple of minutes the event passed and the shield stilled again, as cold and inanimate as it usually was.

Tyrese's heart still swelled to bursting. He'd known all this time that the shield wasn't normal, wasn't right. He'd told his parents and they hadn't believed him. They still didn't. And he knew that he was too old to believe in things like superheroes and fairytales, but the shield had moved! All by itself.

Things like that didn't just happen.

  
  


He absentmindedly walked back to his bed and flopped down on it while still staring at the shield. He willed it to move again. To do something, anything, to let him know that he was right to believe that Sutton's note meant she was really ok. That she had been rescued by real superheros and was safe and innocent and alive. It remained still, but he refused to let go of that hope. His eyes burned hot again even though he'd thought he'd finally stopped being sad about all this.

He wiped quickly at his eyes and reached for a sharpie sitting next to his pile of notebooks. Uncapping it, he turned the shield over so that the shiny, silver back faced him. There wasn't any hesitation as he pushed the permanent marker to the cool metal and wrote.

 

_I miss you Sutton. We still love you so much. - Tyrese_

  
  


[][][][][][]

  
  


She didn’t know when she came to. Like waking up, she suddenly just _was._ Her body throbbed and ached and she refrained from opening her eyes for a moment. A tremor racked through her body, from her feet up to the base of her neck, and she grit her teeth through it. Her bones felt like they’d gone soft and were sinking into her skin. She wheezed a breath haltingly into her lungs and tried to right herself and think clearly. It felt like she was attempting to wade through a scummy pool of Jello. And then, she realized slowly, that wasn’t just how she felt mentally. _Physically_ it was difficult to pull her arms out from under her. Her legs hardly stirred when she prompted them too. As far as she could tell she was curled on her knees with her face into the ground as she tried to center herself with deep shuddering breaths that only caused flashes of splintering pain in her ribs with each inhale. She only noticed that her shoes were gone because she’d curled her toes during one of the continuous flashes of pain. She was still wearing the nylons from her original dress ensemble and those were the only buffer between her skin and the ground.

 

The ground; it wasn’t right.

  
  


Sutton dug her toes into the ground, but instead of digging up soil or scraping concrete, they pulled against something Other. Whatever it was, it bent with the pressure of her toes, the same with her knees and elbows. The substance oddly had the feel and consistency of Play-Doh.

With another gasping wheeze she opened her eyes, and immediately felt as though she were about to have a seizure.

The world around her was changing. And not in the way the world _does_ change, slowly and with the seasons, but rapidly. Like someone was channel surfing and this world was the television. If her heart hadn’t been beating alarmingly quickly before it was now. Sutton snapped her eyes closed again and tried to not expel what little might have been left in her stomach.

  
  


_Forest, city, neighborhood, Paris, small town, desert, space._

  
  


They all flashed and shifted around her and it filled Sutton with a clawing, desperate feeling that razed its way up through her throat and battered around her skull.

_What kind of universe was_ _ this _ _?_

What sort of universe couldn’t stand still, didn’t even know where or what it was itself? If a universe could talk, this one would be shrieking continuously. Sutton could practically feel it reverberating in her blood.

But a world could not speak, so Sutton spoke for it.

She let out a desperate, soulful cry; long and loud that became angry at the end and halted on a high note. Her body hurt. Her mind hurt. She was dying.

And now she felt further away from finding her way home, to the Marvel universe, than ever before.

There were still bruises marring her skin and settling in her muscles. Universe hopping didn’t erase what had happened to her, and she was only just able to prop her arms on her knees. Her stomach dropped sickeningly as she forced her eyes open once more.

  
  


_Cafeteria, rainforest, New York, ocean, office, farm, sewer._

  
  


“Stop! Stop.”

  
  


Sutton curled back into herself and ignored the pain it caused, or relished in it. She wasn’t quite sure anymore. With her forehead on her knees she tried to soothe herself. Tried to make this world _stop._

“I’m home,” she said to herself. Her eyes were rammed shut, wrinkling heavily at the corners and her mouth in a grimace. “I’m in Washington and I’m _home._ I’m-I’m at Lake Crescent. Like that time we all went camping. It’s so… It’s so pretty there. _Here_.”

  
  


The ground beneath her shifted again and Sutton flinched.

 

_It was firm._

  
  


She spread her toes outward, digging into soil and she found it solid and thick and damp. Slowly, she looked up. Tears sprung up more abundantly than they’d been leaking before; because the world was finally _still_. And she was kneeling before a calm, long lake that shone blue and beautiful in the sunlight.

  
  


The first giggle erupted from her lips harshly and with an edge. And then it released a dam of emotion that Sutton could not hope to draw back in, because she was hysterically laughing and crying as she cocooned into herself as small as she could beside the familiar lake.

  
“Where are you Tony?” she wondered aloud. “You were supposed to be rescuing me.”

  
  


But how did she even know Tony was still looking for her in the first place? He could have already given up long before now. At this rate, she should have just listened to the Doctor. Another jump, and she just might not be pulled back together again. She could feel it.

She just couldn't do this anymore. Her body was limp and listless and she didn't have the energy to go through this cycle all over again. Starting over and over again, having to adapt to new situations and people, it was too much and she was tired. She didn't want to try anymore.

So caught up in her own musings, Sutton belatedly noticed the new charge in the air. Natural nature noises had elevated from the silence, but there was a hum underneath all of it. Sutton could feel the hum focused around her. Like she was the solitary string on an instrument that had just been struck. Her heart rate increased in tempo once more and her pupils dilated. But she was still too weak to move.

All other concerns and wounds were shoved down deep within her as she worked to make sense of the feeling. It wasn't the same feeling she got when jumping universes. There was something distinctly grounded about this stirring. It was rooted here, it was rooted around her.

Sutton didn't like that.

  
  


She might have gotten up and fled the area to see if she could escape the vibrations, but she still didn't have the strength to stand. The only thing she could really do was wait. Wait for her bones to solidify, wait for her muscles to stop aching, and wait for whatever was coming. Because there was something coming, she could feel the truth in that. But even that knowledge wasn’t enough to keep her awake for long. Soon enough her body succumbed to exhaustion and she slept.

 

[][][][][][]

  
  


Tony held his head in his hands. The lab was smothering in its silence, even with the soft _blip_ s of the machine saying it was still running. Jane and Reed glanced awkwardly at each other as the failure sank in. Neither of them were sure what to say. Even Axel had been uncharacteristically silent and out of the way this entire time, and remained so now.

Reed took a hesitant step forward and tried to rest a comforting hand on Tony’s shoulder despite how obvious it was that he wasn’t certain of the action.

“Hey, we’re going to try again,” he said. “Her frequency will pop back up.”

“We were pulling her through time and space.” Tony’s voice started out low, but it quickly grew in volume and harshness. “We might have dropped her anywhere: an unsuitable planet, in the ground, thousands of feet in the air! She could have ended up in the void of space, and I guarantee you she wouldn’t have a spacesuit handy.”

  
  


Even the whirring of the computers seemed to go silent at Tony’s outburst. Jane and Reed said nothing, they'd all done the math together. All of them knew the risks. Axel finally spoke up from the back.

“She's alive,” he said. His tone firm and clipped. “She has to be.”

“She doesn't have to be anything,” Tony snapped. “What are you even still doing here? Get out of my lab.”

Axel's jaw ticked and he refused to move. Tony embraced the confrontation, taking a step forward to move more into Axel's space. Both Jane and Reed jumped in between the two men and tried to diffuse the situation

“Come on,” Jane said, “let's not do this. We're all tired and stressed. Fighting isn't going to help bring her back.”

“We need to take a break,” Reed suggested. “The machine can keep scanning for her frequency and it'll alert us when she's found. Ok?”

“No, it's not _o-k._ ”

Jane's gaze darted between the two men who were obviously stretched too thin or too restless to stand down.

“Jarvis,” she questioned. The AI's voice responded quickly.

“Already calling Pepper Potts, Dr. Foster.”

 

[][][][][][]

 

There were murmuring voices surrounding her. Sutton jerked forward as the sound registered and it just pushed her face further into the dirt beneath her. Her eyes snapped open as the murmuring became clearer.

It wasn’t like a normal group of people having a quiet discussion. There was a chaos to it that set her teeth on edge instantly. Almost as if all the people were having their own conversations with themselves that were constantly changing.

Sutton tilted her head up and thought she was going crazy again.

There was a ring of people around her, but like the environment before they were constantly shifting and changing. Their faces and bodies were in a constant state of flux. Hair would go from short to long and back, up-do to half shaved to curled. Their clothes changed with them. There were flashes of period dresses, sharp three-piece suits, and casual modern wear all fighting for dominance.

“Get away from me!”

 

Sutton was able to force herself up to sit on her heels, but that was as far as she could push herself even now. The figures were looming and circled around her and she could feel a cold sweat onher skin.

 

“ _...don't worr-”_

“ _-just bite-”_

“ _Naw, ya see-”_

“ _-um, like, uh, I don't-”_

 

They were all speaking at once and it wasn't helping Sutton think straight. She'd never seen a horror like this in her life. First this world and now the people? If they were even people at all.

 

One figure in front of her crouched down. This one seemed to be fairly consistent in some aspects even while changing. Sutton thought it might be feminine, and it was generally short and thin, with short hair more often than not. She had nowhere else to look besides its face as it knelt before her. The face changed too, but was definitely female. Sharp nose, button nose; blue, green, red, gold eyes; human teeth, jagged incisors, pointed canines, and back again.

“ _-please- I can't believe!- there's a mall- I can't give- help- a taste-”_

“Don't touch me!”

The girl shifted on the balls of her feet. It seemed an impossible task with her shoes changing every second.

“ _-elp, please- It's my- I've seen- Hey, Ed-!”_

“What are you?”

A smile flashed quickly, hair went from long to spiky and short before moving on and Sutton blinked in confusion. For a moment, the woman's face had seemed familiar. For some reason it took her back to her high school days and long nights of reading.

Her gaze flitted about the other figures surrounding her and she forced herself to focus on their shifting faces. It was disorienting and made her skin crawl, but after watching their features shift for a few minutes, she started to notice some distinguishing characteristics for each. Her face skewed to the side partially in confusion and partially in pain.

“No. Are- are you the Twilight Alice?”

  
  


A sensation rushed through Sutton. It was an overwhelming feeling, as if a blast of someone else's energy had surged through her before dissipating again rapidly. The murmuring stopped and the girl's face in front of her quit shifting. It settled on a thin face with pointed features, large golden eyes, and short springy hair. The girl wore a beaming smile, all of her pearly whites exposed, as she grinned down at Sutton and sucked in a deep breath.

Murmuring started back up, but it was cohesive and intelligible. Elated laughter rose from the conversation as well, and Sutton still sat huddled on the cold ground. She flexed the fingers of her left hand in anxiousness as she glanced at the others. All of the people around her had stopped moving as well. They were staring at their arms and groping at their own faces as if experiencing their own forms for the first time.

Sutton did recognize them. She, admittedly, had read the Twilight series when they were first released, although it wasn't something she exactly shared now. And although the people around her didn't look exactly like their movie counterparts, there was enough of a resemblance that she could identify them. They actually had some similarities to some sketches she'd done while reading the book; back before the movies had come out. She closed her eyes and put her forehead back on her knees.

“What the heck. What the heck, what the heck.”

“You saved us.”

  
  


Saved?

  
  


She hadn't been trying to save anyon- Yes. Yes she was! Her hand went to her ribs as she sucked in a breath.

She'd been trying to save the Enterprise crew.

  
  


Khan had gotten away. He'd gotten away in a ship with functioning warp and all of his people onboard.

“I don't know if I saved anyone.”

  
  


Sutton grunted as she was suddenly lifted off the ground by the small woman and held in an embrace.

“Of course you did. You saved all of us! Thank you so, so much!”

She still felt that shock of hollow horror inside, like when you hit someone in traffic or break someone else's good dishware and are frozen in that moment.

_That just happened. I did that. I can't go back and fix it._

But these new people were determined, it seemed, to have her attention. And she was, she realized, surrounded by characters who were supposed to be vampires. It seemed so trivial. Sutton couldn't actually bring herself to care. Alice went to set her down, but Sutton's legs wouldn't hold her, so she was forced to prop Sutton up under her arm in order for Sutton to be eye level with them all. Or at least as eye level as she could be.

Sutton was surprised to see how much of a crowd had gathered around her. In this insane universe the main characters had found her instead. All of the main couples were paired off around her, she could see a group of Native American boys behind the pale vampires. She blinked wearily, almost not opening her eyes again, and rubbed her face.

The thrumming vibration she'd felt before falling asleep was gone and in its place was nothing.

 

“I don't understand,” she said. She didn't want to understand. She didn't want to try and puzzle over this and figure out the mystery. She didn't want to have the attention or gratitude of any of these people.

“Alice,” the man next to her said, “let's get her back... home. She doesn't look so good.”

“Oh, right.” Sutton watched as Alice tried to stretch her grin even wider. “We have a home!”

Alice turned her head to acknowledge the man and the pair made eye contact. They both stared silently at one another as Alice reached out a hand and brushed it down his face. Her lips twisted and pressed together, but her eyes remained dry. It struck Sutton as an odd action.

Cold fingers tried to grasp her under the arms and Sutton was broken from her train of thought. They were large, pale hands. She cried out involuntarily and flinched away from the contact as much as she could.

“Whoa! Ok, ok! Sorry.”

She could feel her heartbeat again, could feel her lungs burning. Sutton's eyes darted back and the broadest of the vampires was standing behind her with both hands held up in a display of peace.

“Sorry,” Sutton said after a pause. She panted lightly. “I don't know why- It's been a long day.”

The guy had dark hair, but it was short and curly. His face was wide and dimpled, and Sutton guessed he must be Emmett.

No, she didn't need to guess. She knew. But years of denial didn't die so quickly, even despite her current mindset.

“So, uh, can I help you or... do you not like dudes?”

“Emmett, don't be rude. I've got her anyway. Hold on, dear.”

  
  


Alice was so thin, shorter than even Sutton was, but she still lifted her as if it were nothing. Sutton huffed in surprise and wanted to protest. She didn't want to be carried or toted around and she didn't want to be surrounded by golden stares and asked questions. But her legs still didn't work and her arms were fairly limp as well.

She felt a bit of unease roll in her gut. How long had it taken her to recover from jumps before? How long had she been asleep?

None of them gave her a choice or asked her if she wanted to come with them. Instead, they all disappeared in a blur and Alice made sure her hold on Sutton was secure.

“You might want to close your eyes,” she suggested.

 

Sutton wasn't sure if she could risk that.

 

She deliberately watched as the trees bled together until there was only a green blur and the ground vanished from under her.


	28. Need Some Space

Sutton only saw a flash of the large, modern home she’d been taken to. It was all glass and wood and sharp geometrical shapes, seeming to rise out of the ground instead of being built there. Alice stopped running and the interior came into focus. It too was sleek and modern. Everything was sharp corners and straight edges, softened by a natural color palette and well placed throw pillows. Alice sat her down on a long leather couch and stepped back to join the group. 

Sutton felt like she was on display. 

The living room was filled to what looked like capacity. Even the Quileute boys had packed into the room without any protest or complaint. Nothing was right in this scenario. Nothing felt like how the books and movies played out. Why had they all gathered around her? How had they known she existed in the first place?  
“We could…feel you.” 

Sutton’s gaze snapped to the copper-haired Edward as he spoke. He was handsome, with a chiseled jaw and wide eyes, but it wasn’t enough to put her in a stupor. She’d met too many characters already for that. He had answered a question that she hadn’t voiced aloud and Sutton’s eyes thinned. 

“I can only really catch bits and pieces,” he explained. “But your expressions say enough on their own.”

 

That probably meant she should be a bit more careful, a bit more guarded, but she was too exhausted to make the effort. Sutton sighed. 

“Right.”

Her nose itched and she wiggled it quickly while rubbing at it with the back of her hand only to come away with dried flakes of blood. She tensed instinctively and raised only her eyes to see the response from the room. No one shifted; there were no growls of warning. Sutton was confused but she tried not to let it show. Her hand was still frozen in front of her face as if any more movement would trigger an attack.

Bella was actually the one to step forward. She brushed back a strand of her dark brown hair and placed a tentative hand on Sutton’s shoulder.

“They -uh- they won’t hurt you. It’s old blood anyways. Besides, that’d be, like, a rude way to say thank you.”   


Thank you for what? Sutton could feel a buildup of frustration and confusion growing in her chest. Why did everything have to be so mysterious? The people around her were fuzzy in her vision at best and her stomach ached. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept or eaten. There wasn’t space in her brain for this.

Edward shifted his stance, Sutton wasn’t sure if his lips were even blurrier than his body due to her vision or his own actions. Esme perked up.

“Let me fix you something to eat, dear,” she said. “You must be starving.”

 

Sutton’s expression flatlined to an unreadable blankness. First they could, what, sense her? And now Edward could consistently ‘sort of’ read her mind; like Snape, like Loki?

Could she not have any sort of privacy? For just a moment? She didn’t want him to be able to have such an intimate insight into her. He’d be able to know the things she wanted to hide away. 

Her hands shook, her rib cage rattled, and Edward visibly blinked. 

Sutton took respite in the thought that she was alone in her thoughts at least. She didn’t quite care how much it pained her to maintain. 

“Hey, you need to conserve your energy for healing.”

Carlisle knelt down in front of her next to Bella and admonished her gently. Sutton grit her teeth and held onto the spiteful belief inside that kept Edward out. 

“No offense,” she grit out, “but I’d like to have some- wait. Wait, how did you know? How do you know anything?”  
“If you don’t stop,” he calmly explained, “you’re going to get a fresh nosebleed. I can smell it.” 

Sutton flinched at the implication and released the tension, letting go of the belief that she was shielded from the mind reader. It felt like releasing a tight muscle, but in her mind. 

 

Carlisle smiled in encouragement. Sutton wasn’t sure how anyone could be convinced that the man was old enough to have high school aged children, adopted or otherwise. He looked about her age. All except for his eyes, she supposed. His eyes showed a maturity and wealth of experience far beyond his apparent years. 

“That’s better,” he said. “You can’t really afford to be doing that, I’m afraid.”

 

Bella moved back, her hand slipping from Sutton’s shoulder as she moved to stand back to chest with Edward. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his nose into her hair. Sutton’s own nose wrinkled despite her attempts to remain aloof. 

Was now really the best time for everyone to be so touchy feely? As she scanned the room it seemed like the entire living room was joining in on clinging to their significant other. She thought she saw Emmett and Rosalie making out in one corner of the room. Had they all been like this in the books? It’d been a long time since she last read them.

 

_ Yes _ _ , a long time. _

 

No one had yet to offer any sort of explanation and her irritation was only spiking. 

“Can someone just please tell me what’s going on,” she snapped. 

Esme reappeared in the room with a bowl of what smelled like chicken broth and a glass of water. Sutton was just able to sit up on her own and she accepted the hot bowl gingerly as the glass of water was set on the table before her. She swallowed a spoonful of broth before glaring up at the group.

“And if one of you just says that I ‘saved you’ again, I’m chucking this bowl across the room.”

She wouldn’t. She’d already taken two more bites in between syllables. The broth just sloshed around in her empty stomach, as if the organ didn’t recognize the substance as real food. She lapped up several more hot spoonfuls.

 

“You had to have noticed that this world wasn’t right.”

Sutton peered at one of the Native American boys from over her bowl. Jacob, was her guess.

“We weren’t right either.”

She swallowed another mouthful of broth, scraped the spoon along the bottom of her bowl and finished off what was left. The glass of water was handed to her and she gulped down two drags of the liquid before responding. 

“Yeah,” she admitted. A tremor passed through her as she recalled how the world had been only minutes before now. She would never be able to unsee their twisting, rubber faces. “It was definitely.... ‘Not right’ is one way to put it.”

“We were like that for a long time,” Jake continued. “Until just now.”

“Obviously,” Rosalie snorted; the wolfpack shot her a glare. She flicked back her hair flippantly and settled her gaze on Sutton. 

“It’s like this, we didn’t exactly exist until just now. We were-”   
Sutton watched as the woman seemed to choke on the sentence and blink rapidly. Emmett sat a hand around her shoulders and held her close. 

“We were whatever the next person wanted us to be.”

 

Sutton squinted, there were too many people in the room, she couldn’t keep track of who was talking. Their story still wasn’t making sense. Her head was starting to pound around the temples. 

“That doesn’t- no. That’s not how this works. Meyers wrote the book, people believed in it, so your world became real. It- it worked everywhere else. I never saw- they were always… stable.” 

 

The soup was starting to sink into her stomach and it cleared her mind marginally. She shook her head and gazed up at the crowd still around her, her face twisting in a look of pained disbelief. 

“You guys aren’t even supposed to be this aware of, well, your situation. Or anything.” 

It didn’t make sense. Why were they the only ones who were twisted by, by the fans? Readers? None of the rest were. And there was more than enough craziness in every fandom to cause chaos. 

There were rules to this! It had taken Sutton a while to learn them, and she still wasn’t one hundred percent confident on some things, but she knew a lot more now! The creator established the world, and the fans brought it to life. 

Establish. 

Why did that seem to ring funnily in her head? 

The creator established. Establish. Stable. 

“Oh my gosh.” Sutton sucked in a painful breath and wasn’t sure if she was more inclined to laugh or cry. “Did, does Meyers not… Does she not have it?”

 

Last year, when the Avengers had first invaded her home and Loki had first cornered her; he’d said she had potential. Just like Stan Lee. Just like J.K. Rowling. Just like everyone who’d created all the world's she’d just razed through. 

They all had large fan bases. And they had all been stable. 

But, what if something had a large fan base, but no creator to keep it grounded? Or what if the creator’s “potential” was weak? Was that something that was even possible? 

  
Alice stepped forward and cupped Sutton’s face, forcing her out of her thoughts and back into the present moment.

“What’s important is that for the first time we finally get to just be ourselves, and we can’t thank you enough for that.”

 

Had she given them their personalities, then, based off her view of their characters? Is that why they shared features with her imagined version of them?

“But-”  
“Shh. We’re _ourselves_.”

It was silent for a beat and Sutton tried to wade through the mess in her head. Alice was trying to reassure her, and Sutton was touched by the effort. Someone in the back of the room snorted and one of the members of the wolfpack sneered. Paul? It could be Paul.

“As sickeningly sweet as this all is, it’s really starting to stink in here.”

“No one’s making you stay, furball.”

Sutton saw Edward shake his head before he locked gazes with her.

“See, Alice is right.” 

She proceeded to tune out the ensuing argument which seemed to be happening just because it could and lacked any real bite.

_ Heh. Bite. _

 

She finished off the glass of water without replying, hoping that Edward hadn’t been able to catch the last part of that thought. 

 

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

 

The lab was almost quiet. It was an eerie sort of quiet though. Usually there was humming and mumbled chatter with the occasional automated  _ beeps _ tossed in; but not now. There was a weight hanging in the air threatening to bear down uninhibited on the occupants of the room. 

Tony was slumped and snoring lightly in a swivel chair. After being awake for another seventy-two hours straight he had just suddenly collapsed in the middle of a sentence, and the others decided to just leave him. His chin rested against his chest and his brow was furrowed despite his unconscious state. A string of muttered syllables tumbled from his lips and his face scrunched in a grimace. His whole body tensed then, and his breathing started coming in short, gasping pants. 

 

_ He was back in space. The dark emptiness engulfed and threatened to consume him as taunting colors and stars glittered in the far distance. The only separation he had from the fatal vacuum of space was his iron man suit. _

_ He just had to get rid of this nuke. Thousands of invading alien forces were pouring out of spacecraft floating before him and if he didn’t do this the entire earth would be decimated. The anxiety in his chest tightened as he pushed the missile in their direction. The eye-lens on his suit proceeded to crack as he floated backwards. The earth hung below him, the portal rapidly closing in on itself and barring him from safety. He was going to die up here.  _

_ Tony gasped a few more times, trying to breathe while he still could. Pepper had never answered his phone call; he never said goodbye. A bitter pang bit though his heart.  _

_ He closed his eyes and prepared to wait. _

 

_ “Help!” _ _   
_ _ The ships and nuke had disappeared and now in their place was a lone figure. They were hidden inside a thick space suit, but were spiraling out of control without the ability to stabilize themselves. Tony activated his thrusters and grabbed the body before they made another 360° rotation. _

_ “Tony! Help me!” _

_ Tony jerked back when he finally saw the face behind the helmet.  _

_ “Sutton!” _

_ She was sobbing as she stared up at him and he finally noticed the giant crack in the visor of the helmet; it spread across its entire surface.  _

_ “Please, Tony! Help me!” _

_ “Hold on, hold on! I can-” _ _   
_ _ His hands fumbled encased in his metal gloves as he scrambled for a solution. The earth had disappeared and they were both stranded in open space. He had nothing. The visor cracked further.  _

_ “No! No, hold on! Just hold on, ok?” _ _   
_ _ Sutton grasped at his shoulders, pulling him down, down, down as she cried. Her face glowed red as tears began to fill the helmet.  _

_ “Why? You were supposed to save me! Why didn’t you save me?” _

_ “I-I can still-” _ _   
_ _ The visor shattered and Sutton gargled a last gasping breath as the oxygen was suddenly ripped from her lungs. Her body convulsed from the act and then she went still. The helmet was gone and shock froze Tony as he watched her curls float upwards, some tendrils wrapping around her limp limbs. Her eyes still glistened with tears even as they turned glassy and empty. _

_ Tony screamed.  _

 

The swivel chair lurched backwards as Tony spasmed and woke. His skin was clammy, brow dotted with sweat, and his eyes darted around the room as his mind caught up with his waking state. Jane, Reed, and Axel were huddled over some notes in a corner of the lab and looked torn between asking if he was alright and pretending they hadn’t noticed anything. Tony glared in their direction and then scowled as he scrubbed at his face and stood up to leave the room.       

They wisely remained silent. 

Once more he found himself in the lab’s adjacent kitchen. 

“Lights.”

His voice was hoarse and shaky but the lights in the kitchen came on just the same. 

Tony shuffled over to the countertop and reached up to open one of the cupboard doors. He halted with his arm halfway in the air and winced. With his other hand he rubbed at his chest before shaking his head and continuing on. There was a bottle of aspirin sitting on the edge of the shelf, and Tony shook out a few pills then went to fill a glass with water. He downed them in a hurry, leaning against the counter with his eyes squinted shut as he waited or the medication to take affect. 

“We’ll get her back.” 

 

Tony groaned in irritation and grimaced over his shoulder at the intrusion. 

“You know, you have a knack for being exactly where you’re not wanted.”   
Axel refused to shuffle under Tony’s gaze and instead sat down on a bar stool across the room. 

“Look, I wouldn’t have bothered you, but Jane and Reed sent me; they didn’t want to break their stride. They just wanted to let you know they have that interfering code locked and stable now; so it must be a nonliving object of some kind. When we run the machine again, it’ll pull whatever that is through first and we won’t have a problem.”

  
Tony dumped the rest of the water down the sink and sat the glass down after it. Finally, he turned to face Axel, though his demeanor had hardly lightened. There were dark rings still under his eyes. He’d really only slept a few hours. He  _ could only _ sleep a few hours. 

“If the machine didn’t use so much power, we could just-”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. We can’t run that thing any more than necessary; we’ve already gotten a few calls from several government branches and NASA.” 

Tony flashed a cheeky grin and pushed himself away from the counter to mosey back towards the kitchen exit.

“That sounds like a SHIELD problem to me. Good luck with that though! At least we finally found out the reason you’re still here.” 

He waited long enough to see Axel’s grumpy frown and then saluted him mockingly as he swiveled on the heel of his foot and left the room. 

Maybe now Pepper would stop bothering him about things like “rest” and “self care” and “doling out responsibilities”. 

 

Tony Stark had work to do. 

 

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Sutton managed to convince the mob downstairs that she was stable enough to shower, and on her own. Luckily for her the Cullens were rich enough to be those people who had a shower big enough to run circles in. And that meant it had a bench to rest on. Because why not? 

She had sat on the closed toilet seat and carefully peeled off her borrowed uniform after removing the knee brace. Just looking at the clothing made her uncomfortable and set her teeth on edge. The metal case was still securely in a pants pocket, and she set that carefully on the vanity next to her before unraveling the light wrapping around her torso. Even removing the gauze was painful, heat shot up from her ribs and sent her hissing. Sutton tried to keep her back straight and rigid so there was no more pressure on the bones than necessary. 

The shower was warm and quite apparently necessary. She still had dirt from Kronos caked on her skin and it coated the shower tiles in a dingy brown film before being washed away down the drain. Sutton sat under the spray of the water for awhile before gently washing herself clean and building up the energy to leave the shower again. Alice had given her a pair of warm cotton sweats, a simple v-neck tee, and basic underthings. All items fit relatively well, given that she was near Alice’s size in at least height. 

Rewrapping her ribs on her own was out of the question though. The knee brace was easy to put back on, and she decided to leave her fingers unwrapped only because she wasn’t sure how to properly get the job done.

 

When she limped out of the bathroom and back out into the hall with her case in hand, Dr. Carlisle was waiting for her. 

“I have some painkillers for your ribs.”   
Sutton sighed. 

“You heard me.”  
“Sorry, it’s hard not to. But it’s important to take something to ease the pain. You don’t want to be taking shallow breaths until you heal.”

He passed her a couple pills and held a small cup of water she hadn’t noticed before. She shifted the case under her arm and accepted the offering with her left hand while he eyed her right hand at her side. 

“And you should let me take a look at your hand too. Your fingers will probably need to be splinted, guessing by the swelling. Were they dislocated or broken?”  
“Does it matter?”  
Carlisle gave her a patient smile that only the best of doctors could possess. 

“A lot, actually. The treatment for dislocation and broken bones differ a bit.” 

 

Sutton swallowed the pills and accepted the cup of water to wash them down. These pills would work, she realized. They had medication that existed in her universe, she might actually get some relief for awhile. She swallowed and glanced around the hall before rubbing at her right arm. 

“Dislocated,” she said. “I think.” Her voice was hushed, even if it didn’t matter with a house full of vampires.

Carlisle didn’t touch her, but gestured forward to a door down to the left. 

“I have some medical equipment set up here. We can take care of your injuries and then you’re free to rest however you choose. There’s more food in the kitchen if you’re still hungry.”

She wasn’t sure if she was or not. Sutton decided she only had the ability to make one decision and take one action at a time. She followed as Carlisle led her down the hall and she sat heavily on the doctor’s bed that he had in his house. It was weird, but at this point she didn’t think anything could phase her. Really, what was “weird” when you’d seen several different universes? And how could a doctor’s office in a house stun her after all she’d seen and done?

Not once did Carlisle ask how she’d gotten her injuries. Sutton appreciated it more than he would ever realize. Even as gentle and methodical as he was being, she still couldn’t help tensing every time his cool skin ghosted over hers.

Back in the living room things had cleared out. The wolfpack was gone,  _ they wanted to see their families Bella said _ , and those that lived here seemed to be settling down. Sutton gingerly sat back on the couch she’d been on before and her muscles released the taut extra tension they’d been holding just to keep her upright.

“I’m sure you have some questions.”

Sutton cut her eyes over to Alice and Jasper, who were both squeezed into one seat across the living room. She huffed as she leaned further back into the couch. The aspirin hadn’t quite kicked in yet and she could still feel flashing pains in her upper chest. Pride or fear kept her from mentioning that detail to Carlisle. 

“Probably not as many as you think,” she said. Now that she was settled on the couch, Sutton wasn’t sure she could get back up if they asked her to. She rubbed at her chest as an odd fluttering spasmed behind her ribcage.

The two vampires tilted their heads at her as if they had heard the fluttering that she’d felt. Maybe they had. Sutton dropped her hand quickly and shrugged one shoulder dismissively.

“As unbelievable as it may seem, this isn’t exactly my first rodeo.”

Sutton sighed once more and draped her arm over her face, careful of the bruising still around her right eye socket. 

“So what’s next on the agenda? Were you in the middle of leaving Bella? Are the Volturi coming? What is it?” 

 

The room was quiet a bit longer than what felt necessary and Sutton peaked out from under her arm at Alice and Jasper. They were eyeing her with raised eyebrows as if she’d said something odd. 

“Um,” Jasper drawled, “I don’t think anything is happening.”

“No Volturi in sight,” agreed Alice. “We’ve just got settled. I’m hoping we’ll get a bit of a break to adjust, to be honest.”

“Huh.” Sutton glanced around the mostly empty living room. “Well then, where is every-no, wait, never mind.” 

 

She didn’t quite know how to feel about “nothing” happening. Relief? Perhaps. Certainly! But to just suddenly slam on the brakes after escaping Khan did nothing to ease the dread or shame that still coated her insides. She still clung to an irrational fear that he might spring around the corner any moment. 

There was a bang at the front door. Sutton jumped, and the door was pushed open before anyone got up to answer it. In barged Jacob Black, alone this time, and he strutted into the house as if he were regularly invited over. Sutton placed a hand on her chest as her heart tried to slow down. She hadn’t even been  _ that _ startled, surely? 

“Hey! You look better now.”   
Sutton could see Jasper stare drolly at Jacob from where he sat. 

“ ‘s there a reason you’re back here?” 

Jacob shrugged. Sutton attempted to shift to make room on the couch as he came closer, but he only fussed and insisted that she stay as she was. 

“No, don’t do that. I’ll be fine on the floor.” He shot a glare to the vampire couple and pointed. “No dog jokes.”

 

It didn’t take but a moment for Bella and Edward to emerge from some corner of the house at the boy’s appearance. 

“Jake, what are you doing back here? This-”

“What? Violates the treaty? I think we’re a little passed that right now.”

Edward shook his head and Sutton wasn’t sure if the vaguely irritated expression was normal or due to Jacobs appearance. 

“He just came to make sure Sutton was doing alright,” Edward said. “He thinks she’s under The Pack’s protection as well.”

“She is.”

 

These odd, new dynamics between vampires and wolf shifters was confusing Sutton. They had been near enemies when she read the books, perhaps unwilling allies when forced to be. But certainly they were generally adversarial. Here they just seemed apathetic at worst. And it was all due to them “not existing” before she arrived here? 

 

“What was it like before,” she interrupted. The room hushed and she kept her gaze down, near Jacob. “Before I got here,” she clarified. “I don’t understand that part. I haven’t been anywhere where the creator hadn’t had the gift. It doesn’t make sense to me. You couldn’t have been all people’s characterizations at once. Is that even possible? That’d make a person crazy.” 

 

The room was stiltedly silent. Uneasy gazes cut across to each other in turn as they all waited for someone else to answer first. Eventually Jacob broke the stalemate. 

“It was almost… fuzzy. Like watching yourself in a dream,” he said. 

“A dream that changed every three seconds.” There was a note of resentment in Edward’s voice as he chimed in. “And one that you couldn’t quite control your actions in.”

“It was awful,” Bella snapped. Sutton was actually surprised to hear so much emotion in her voice. “It wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare.” 

Alice remained silent and Jasper wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

“That’s why we’re so grateful you came,” Jacob continued. “No matter how you did it. We can finally be one person.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch cushion. 

“It’s finally quiet.”

 


	29. The Final Countdown

A few days passed and Sutton worked on recovering. Except, even after a few days her muscles still felt as weak as before and there were still worrying flares of chest pains. Attempts to sleep weren’t much better. Every time she closed her eyes she could only see the vast emptiness of space. Worse was when she saw Khan’s stern face, that darkly amused gleam in his eye, and a planet burning while the inhabitants cursed her name. 

Even Carlisle looked at her with some measure of concern. Sutton brushed aside any voiced worries. She already knew. She didn’t want to think about it. The Doctor had warned her; McCoy had confirmed it. She had a feeling there’d be nothing they could do for her worn out, failing heart. And she didn’t really want a countdown clock haunting whatever time she had left. No, in this case ignorance would be bliss. Or, as blissful as dying could be.

Instead she observed as the people around her started to settle into normal daily life. Or, normal for vampires, she supposed.

She didn’t have much of a chance to leave the Cullen house on her own and would have drawn quite a few stares with her injuries if she had. According to the Cullens, not everyone was aware of their universe being previously unstable. It seemed that awareness only extended to those that the book had considered main characters. Perhaps it was due to all the fans focusing on a chosen few, maybe it has something to do with Sutton herself; it wasn’t clear. But it didn’t truly matter in the end. Sutton wasn’t up for much travelling around in the first place.

The house cleared out during the day as people went back to school and work. It eventually ended up being just Sutton and Esme loitering around the house until later in the afternoons. Esme didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed happy to cook for Sutton, make sure she was comfortable when resting, and was especially content with being a conversational companion. Sutton didn’t mind that either. Esme was kind and mothering and gentle. It was an aloe on a bad burn. 

The burn was still there, but at least you felt a little better after treating it. 

 

Diffused light fought its way through the clouds and windows to settle on the cool wood floors. It created an almost blue tint to the space and made the room feel like it should be chillier than it actually was. Sutton found herself bundled up under a cashmere blanket with a stack of books and an empty plate on the floor within arms reach. She hummed quietly in the back of her throat when she noticed rain start to fall outside the large glass panes in the living room. 

She remembered this. 

Esme was sitting in an armchair nearby and she smiled softly at Sutton after looking up from her laptop. 

“You said you were originally from this area,” Esme prompted as Sutton gazed up at the looming gray clouds that were rolling in. 

“Sort of. A few hours away, but I’ve been up here before. It feels weird being so close.”

“We could visit your hometown,” she suggested. She perked up at the idea and Sutton shook her head quickly. 

“Thank you, but, it’s just not the same. I was able to pop back awhile ago and, it’s just-” She struggled to find the right word to describe a world without her family in it. All descriptors seemed lacking. 

“It’s just empty.”   
Esme nodded in understanding and settled back into her chair. 

“I understand,” she said. “Because of what we are, we really don’t get to call one place home. Instead, we’ve had to make family our home.”    
  


Sutton nodded silently while wishing she’d gotten the chance to make one for herself. 

  
  


A few days into her stay in this universe, when everyone had returned from school and work, they decided to finally journey out to Forks just to let Sutton get some fresh air. Forks wasn’t a town she had frequently visited or knew well, so she didn’t object. They helped her into one of their cars and Sutton, personally, thought they could have carpooled a bit more efficiently than they chose to.

Forks was small and sparse of both people and businesses. The highway was the main road that split the town with small local businesses on either side. It was a town that people always passed through on their way to somewhere else, and it looked even more boring than the movies made it out to be. When Edward, ironically, asked what she thought of it, she snorted.

“Well, I’ll definitely be able to get fresh air. I can’t say much else. It looks about the same as the one I had.”   
Bella groaned in agreement. 

“No offense, but this town is so boring.” 

“Wow, thanks,” Edward quipped.

Sutton really hoped she hadn’t altered their personalities too much. 

Edward parked the car and Sutton eased to the edge of the backseat before lowering her feet to the pavement. The wind was cool, but not intolerable. She was used to this kind of weather and nostalgia washed over her as the scent of crisp wind and fresh pine surrounded her. Nostalgia? It had only been a year or so and she was already nostalgic? Was that allowed? Sutton shook her head.

They slowly meandered about the shops without purchasing anything, although they did receive a few stares. The Cullen's were and odd, reclusive family as it was, and Sutton was an unfamiliar face. Every twenty feet or so Sutton would have to pause to catch her breath and would try to pretend she was just stopping to look in a store window.

She was aware of the others around her as they continued on, had known when they caught up with the rest of the family, but she found herself distant from the events around her. Although it was cloudy it wasn’t freezing, but the jacket she wore began to feel like it wasn’t thick enough and sometimes the world around her was a bit fuzzy when she’d never needed glasses.

“Are you ok?” Sutton looked up and found Esme next to her. When had she gotten there? “Your heart is beating a little fast.”

“Yeah. I’m ok. Is anyone, er, Bella hungry? I could eat.”

“Um, sure.” Bella gestured to a building a bit farther down the road. “That’s the diner. It’s alright.”

“That sounds good.”   
  
Sutton was not exactly hungry. She just really wanted to sit down. But saying  _ ‘hey, I think I’m slowly wasting away and need a quick break’ _ didn’t seem like a fun conversation to start.

The diner looked to be starting its dinner rush, but they were able to get a back table without any wait. Emmett and Rosalie had decided not to bother with pretending to eat food and continued on with their walk. Even still, it was a crowded and awkward table. If Sutton had been in a more fit mood, she might’ve made a joke about the contrast between her and the apparent models surrounding her. 

She ordered a soup with crackers and water, while Bella ordered a burger, and Edward told the waiter they’d all split a large order of fries. Jasper shifted the smallest bit with a worried glance at the waiter. 

“She doesn’t care that we didn’t all order,” Edward told him. “All she’s thinking about is an exam she has to pass this week.”

Sutton snorted quietly as she put her elbows on the table and propped her head up in her hands. 

“Been there, wouldn’t go back,” she said. “I never got how you guys could do the school thing over and over again. I’d go crazy.”

“You tune it out after awhile,” Alice said. “There’s only so many times you need to hear about mitochondria.” 

 

The mild conversation continued until the waitress came back with their order, and Sutton sipped at her soup slowly after crumbling all the provided saltines over top. Bella focused on her burger and the rest pretended to pick at the fries. Sutton thought it was a waste. She was nibbling on a soggy cracker crumb when a new voice called across the room. 

“Bells?”   
  


Charlie Swan made a bee-line for their table all geared up in his police uniform and with a look of urgency that Sutton didn’t understand. Bella looked surprised to see her father and stuttered a bit before finally getting words out.

“Uh, dad. What are you do- I thought you were working?”  
“I’m on break,” he said. He stood at the end of their table and acknowledged the rest of the Cullens with a quick nod while awkwardly fiddling with his utility belt.

“Is this, uh… is this her?”   
He looked toward Sutton, and she sat up straighter in her seat while trying to look for cues as to why he’d be singling her out. 

“Yeah, yeah, this is Sutton, dad.”

Sutton waved while vainly trying to suppress a smile. Even after going from liking Twilight to trying to pretend she’d never heard of it, it had been near impossible for her to pretend she didn’t like Charlie Swan. It had always frustrated her that Bella seemed to constantly push him away. He was a nice dad who cared about his daughter; one who protected people, protected his family, and did his best to provide. Who wouldn’t want a dad like that? 

“Hi,” she said. “It’s nice to meet-”

Charlie reached across the table and gripped her hands in his as if he wanted to hug her but didn’t want to cross any boundaries. He looked directly into her eyes and Sutton couldn’t blink at the sincerity of his stare.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much. You- you have no idea-”

His eyes were starting to look watery and if he started crying, she’d start crying, and she really didn’t want that to happen. She gave his hands a squeeze back as well as she could and grimaced. 

“It’s fine. It really isn’t-”

“It’s everything. You gave me back my life; my Bells. If you ever need anything- anything at all-”

“Dad,” Bella interrupted. She let some of her hair fall in front of her face in embarrassment, but it looked like she was still slightly amused. “Come on, you’re gonna make a scene.”

 

At Bella’s tone he pulled away and cleared his throat as if remembering where he was. 

“I mean it though,” he insisted. “This world owes you everything.”

 

_ A starship on fire and Khan’s face flashed through her mind _ . Her bottom lip trembled. 

 

“It was the least I could do.”

He took another step back away from the table and nodded his head in some sort of finality and rested his hands on his belt. He cleared his throat again. 

“I guess I better get back on patrol, then. You’ll be home tonight, Bells?”  
“Yeah, dad. I’ll be home.”  
“Right.” He nodded to the Cullens in acknowledgment. His eyes drifted over to land on Edward. 

“And this doesn’t change anything,” he told him. “We still need to have a talk.”

Edward nodded a bit sheepishly.

“Yessir.”   
  
Sutton watched as Charlie began to walk away. He only made it a few paces before he froze and swiveled back around. 

“And, Bells. Just, all… this-” He stood slightly hunched and gestured in a circle at all the Cullens. “I know things are different now, but… stay safe?”  
She ducked her head again and smiled behind her hair. Sutton decided it might not have been so awful if she’d changed a few little things. 

“Yeah, dad. I’ll be safe.”

 

Sutton mumbled about the soup being hot and rubbed at her nose as Charlie left and the group resettled at the table.

“He’s a- he’s a good dad,” she commented. Everyone around the table smiled softly and Bella chewed on her bottom lip.

“Yeah,” she said. “He is.”   
  


They might have just gone back to eating except Jacob walked through the doors of the diner just as Charlie was leaving. Sutton fleetingly wondering if she was still wearing magnets for the people of this universe.

He already had the group in his sights as he made his way over to them. Sutton tilted her head in one hand in curiosity as she dribbled soup from the spoon back into the bowl. 

He grinned as he saw them, his eyes landing on her. 

“Hey, you’re still here; cool.”   
Sutton ticked a brow up. She didn’t know where he’d expected her to go, but teleporting out of here probably wasn’t happening anytime soon. If it did at all.

“So,” he said, “I noticed you were collecting stuff from the places you visit. I just wanted to give you something from here too. I don’t know when you’re leaving, or how your power stuff works, but,” he shrugged, “I don’t know.”

A pang of anxiety shot through her as she remembered that she’d left her case back at the Cullen house. They had politely commented on the items inside and she knew they probably weren’t interested in her possessions at all, but the thought of accidentally leaving them was still a heavy concern.

Something hung from Jacob’s clenched fist, and he held it up and passed it over the table to her. Bella smiled with an amused quirk of her lips.

“Really, Jake?”  
“Shut up.”  
  


It was a small wooden, circular pendant probably the size of a fifty-cent piece on a leather cord. On the pendant two images had been carved into the wood. Sutton recognized them. Having lived amongst Native American reservations her entire life, their artwork was familiar to her. Carved totems could be seen at various locations around most counties and the art style of the Pacific Northwestern tribes was fairly distinct. 

An eagle was depicted at the top of the pendant while an orca was carved directly below. 

“I’ve seen this before,” she said. She traced a finger over the grooves in the image. 

“It’s Thunderbird,” Jacob supplied. “He’s the one who created the Quileute, according to legend. He’s so big that he creates thunder when he flies and eats orca.”

The carving was actually impressive. The lines were smooth and even while the images were spaced perfectly from the edges. 

“Did you make this?”   
She swore he reddened. 

“Yeah. Like I said, I thought you’d like something else to add to your collection.”

“It’s perfect.” Sutton grinned up at Jacob and kept the necklace close. “And not even wolf-themed. You showed a lot of restraint.”   
Jacob huffed as a few giggles came from the vampires and Bella.

“Well, we’re more than just wolves. And Thunderbird is really important to us. Since he can create, and you can too, I dunno. I thought it might bring you strength.” 

She slipped the necklace over her head while still smiling. 

“I feel stronger already,” she said. And maybe it was a lie, but it was worth it to see the boy smile. 

A rush of air swept into the diner and someone poked their head inside and called for Jacob. Things were getting a little blurry again and Sutton gripped the table as Jacob said good-bye, see you soon, and loped away. Did she say thank you? She couldn’t remember. He was being very nice, she hoped she’d remembered to say those words. 

 

They left the diner when Bella had finished her burger and Sutton most of her soup. The fries only appeared to be half eaten. Sutton wasn’t completely sure what had happened to the portion that appeared to have been consumed. 

It felt like the temperature had dropped when she got back outside, and she guessed it was around autumn based off the clouds and weather. There was the barest hints of yellow in the maple leaves that hadn’t yet begun to fall from their places. She’d always liked fall. 

“Here.” 

Edward held out his scarf to her in offering as Sutton attempted to keep pace with the two couples in front of her. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her think it was cold out, or if she’d been shivering, but she accepted the scarf only because she knew he didn’t need it any way. 

“Thanks.”   
Her voice was a bit breathy for being on a casual stroll, and Sutton used wrapping the warm fabric around her neck as an excuse to pause on the sidewalk and rest for a moment.

 

They appeared to be heading back to the vehicles when Alice suddenly froze rigidly on the sidewalk. 

 

[][][][][][]

 

“There’s been a large continuous influx of data,” Jane said. She was actually taking a small break, sitting in a swivel chair and eating an old bag of potato chips. Even if she wasn’t up and moving about at the moment, her eyes still flitted from screen to screen as she spoke. “That surge could still be due to that degradation between universal barriers. Which means it’s still being corroded away. The only way it’s going to be able to start repairing itself, is if we get Sutton stable.” 

“Which is the main problem, isn’t it?” Reed ran a hand through his hair as he paused to gulp out of his soda can. “You’d think it’d be easier to find her with all this, but there’s just so much. Plus that weird energy blast that popped up awhile ago. The computers still haven’t figured out what that was.”

  
Jane wiped her hands off on her jeans and pulled a tablet off the counter next to her. There were various graphs displayed, and she chose the one they'd charted from the mystery phenomenon. Pinching her fingers and then flicking them out, she projected the info graph up into the air. There was something unshakably familiar about the rise and fall of the data. Something she'd seen before…. 

“Hey.” 

Axel strode forward and began poking at the various codes scrolling through the air.

“These look like they match.” He pointed to chunks of code in the mystery reading and then compared it to Sutton’s own code. “But why would they match?” 

 

Both Jane and Reed scooted forward to see Axel’s point. Indeed, there were patterns mimicked in the foreign data that seemed to be replicant of Sutton's own signature. Reed tilted his head. 

“Wait, doesn't that burst actually remind you of-”

“The theoretical science behind a universe spawning event! Direct the computer to look there.”  
“If that space does match her code, we’re going to get a lot of feedback and confusion. It’s like it’s part of her. Or born from her? I honestly haven’t the first clue. This is unprecedented.”  
“We still have to try, right?” Axel cut in. “That could be her? It’s been months since she went missing, guys. And especially after that Convergence stuff, Director Fury is getting a little antsy.”

Both scientists ignored his worry. 

“Let him be antsy, there’s nothing we can do about that,” Reed said off-handedly. Axel almost looked pale. His face, at least, had gone slightly slack.

“No, you don’t understand. Director-”

“Go tell Tony that he should get down here then,” Jane suggested. 

“Oh no. I’m not doing that again! The guy hates me.”   
Jane rolled her eyes without even bothering to look up at the agent. 

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“He kinda does,” Reed said.

 

_ [I can inform Mister Stark of current developments.] _

Jarvis’ voice calmly cut through the conversation. That seemed to settle the debate and Jane and Reed dove back into calculations while Axel slumped back into a chair.

“Yeah, well, I’m the one who noticed they matched,” he huffed. “Just remember that.”   
  


[][][][][][][][][][]

 

Sutton stumbled to a stop as Jasper supported Alice as she came out of her vision. Alice

held onto Jasper’s arm as she blinked and returned to the present. 

“What is it, darlin’?”   
Sutton couldn’t quite gage her reaction from the back of the group, and Alice was a little fuzzy in her vision anyway, so she listened intently. 

“They  _ are _ coming,” she said in a hushed voice. Edward was already stiff and holding Bella close. Sutton sighed in exasperation. “The Volturi. They want to meet...her.”

All turned to look at Sutton and her eyebrows tilted in weariness as she slumped further, her spine curving down towards the sidewalk. 

“I told you,” she said tiredly. “Something always happens.”  
“Come on. Let’s get home first.” Edward nodded for the group to continue on, and Sutton pushed herself to keep up with them. Her lungs were burning a bit as she did so, but she worked on catching her breath while she sat in the back of the car. Edward and Bella were having a rapidfire discussion on the drive back to the Cullen house. Sutton couldn’t quite immerse herself into it even though she knew she probably should. The Volturi had the potential to be just a big of a threat as any she’d faced before, but the voices in the front of the car were muffled as she stared dazedly out the window. 

It was raining again. It must be close to fall. It always rained a lot in the fall. She liked it. She liked the way the fresh rain and damp soil smelled. 

“-tton? Hey? Are you ok?”   
Sutton blinked and suddenly Bella’s face came into focus. She was chewing on her lower lip as she eyed Sutton worriedly. The question sank in and Sutton nodded. Bella turned back around in her seat and addressed Edward.

“We should probably take her back to Carlisle.” 

“I sent him a text already. He knows; he’s on his way home now.”

Sutton took another wheezing, half-breath and closed her eyes as she propped her head against the cool window.

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

Tony’s eyes were bloodshot and his hair hadn't been combed in at least two days, but he was zipping around the lab with all the energy he had. 

“Not good,” Reed called out from behind a monitor. “Her signal is getting weaker? I don't know exactly what that means, but it can't be good.”

“Are you getting a lock,” Tony barked. His voice was rough from long nights and too much caffeine. Reed shook his head. 

“Not yet. I'm working on it.” 

“Work faster.” Jane cut in. “Because if one of my theories is correct, that girl doesn't have much time left.”

Tony's fingers fumbled on some keys, but he managed to recover quickly. 

“If you want any projects funded in the future, you'll get that signal locked down.” 

Reed wiped at his brow and worked faster.

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

Her shoulders were moving, there was a gentle pressure around the left socket accompanied by a melodic voice. Sutton's eyes fluttered open to find herself once again the focus of many golden gazes. She was back on the couch in their living room. When had that happened? She didn’t remember getting out of the car. 

Carlisle was leaning over her and taking her pulse, and she remembered waking up in a similar situation before. 

“You fell asleep in the car,” said Edward. “We brought you back inside the house.”

Sutton’s face skewed to the side and she eyed Carlisle with narrowed eyes. She tried to speak, but was hit with a burst of coughing before she could get words out. 

“You’re not cold,” she finally managed to say. “What did you do?”   
Carlisle’s lips thinned slightly as he continued to assess her. 

“I’m afraid that may be poor circulation on your part,” he said. “Sutton,” his voice was suddenly wavering, “there’s no simple way to say this-”

“I know already.” She noted the roughness in her own voice. She could feel her chest thrum with a heartbeat that didn’t feel right. 

_ Thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump-thump. Thump.  _

Her heart actually hurt as it beat too fast in her chest. She sucked in another breath of air. 

“There is a way.” Carlisle hedged; Sutton saw the reddened face of Rosalie. 

“No!”

“No.” Sutton breathed at the same moment. “Thanks though. I’d just rather-rather not be a vampire. No, no offense.”

Bella was either fuzzy or teary-eyed. Sutton limply felt around herself, even making an effort to sit up as she searched around the couch. She didn’t have her case. She needed that case.

“My things,” she muttered. “I need my things.” 

One person out of the group disappeared momentarily before reappearing with the silver case. They handed it down to her and Sutton took it with a nod of thanks as she leaned back into the couch. It felt better to have it with her. There was nothing anything in the case could do to help her, really, but for whatever reason she wanted it right now. It felt like the right thing. A tiny, niggling voice in the back of her head tried to argue that maybe everything was fine. Maybe she was just going through a rough patch, and maybe she’d get better. But the cold and the stuttering in her chest argued strongly against that. 

Still, she couldn’t shake the voice. And she couldn’t completely shake that unsteady hope. The fingers on her right hand were splinted, so her left hand twitched instead. 

“I don’t think I’m dying this very second,” she whispered. The group around backed up a few paces and looked sheepish and torn. “Can I- can I get a sharpie?” 

“A sharpie?”   
Was that Emmett? It sounded like it was. 

“The girl wants a sharpie, just get her one.”   
  


She felt a thick marker being placed in her grasp, thankfully already uncapped, and she struggled to write on the case with her non-dominant hand. 

 

_ Tony - Thank you. Just in case, the watch. _

 

Flipping the case over, she wrote on the opposite side too. 

 

_ Mom, Howard, Tyrese - I love you. _

 

She might have written more, but writing left-handed was difficult as it was, and she couldn’t lift her arm very well after writing just those short sentences.

What would happen to her body when she died? Would it stay here, no longer in a state of unbalanced flux? Would it zap back home to the horror of her family? 

She decided she didn’t like thinking about it.

  
  


[][][][][][][][][][]

 

“We’re losing her signal!” Reed frantically moved about from monitor to monitor. He smacked one screen a bit ruthlessly and growled through gritted teeth. “We have to do it now!”  
“No! No!”  
Tony was moving quickly. He’d forgotten to do something, he knew he had. Something important. But his head was swimming with lack of sleep, numbers, and adrenaline and it was hard to think. He moved even more quickly than Reed around the room, his fingers danced across screens as sweat gathered at his brow. His gaze flickered over one console before it came zooming back and he remembered. 

“Not yet,” he snapped. “I don’t have coordinates set! She-”

“It’s almost gone,” Jane shouted. Her face paled as the little blip on the screen before her began to fade. 

“I’m sorry Tony. It has to be now.”

“No! Wait!” The console was on the other side of the room. His legs couldn’t move fast enough. 

Jane hit enter. The machine roared to life. 

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

Sutton felt a familiar tugging beneath her skin and her stomach fell. On top of the chest pains and everything else it was searing to the point of almost making her numb. 

 

_ Soon. It was too soon. She wasn’t strong enough. _

 

There wasn’t even enough air in her lungs to scream. Her eyes stretched wide and taut and a small puff of air made it passed her lips. She clutched the silver case, fingers shaking and vibrating as she shoved it down into the waistband of her jeans where it sat tight against her hips. 

_ Safe. _

 

Her skin was tearing again. Someone shouted, someone else choked. Golden gazes turned to stars. Sutton saw space once again. 


	30. Home Again Home Again Lickety Splat

Inconsiderate and ungently, Sutton was dragged through the space between spaces. There were stars, there were colors, there was pain.

There wasn’t exactly a transition when she became aware of herself. One moment she was nothing and nowhere and being ripped apart at the seams, and the next moment she was whole and tangible. It wasn’t dark anymore. She felt sick. 

She tried to lean over to vomit, but couldn’t stop twisting. Her eyes opened and widened in realization as the wind whipped through her hair and her sickness was swallowed back down as she screamed.

She was falling!

All Sutton could see was a whirl of blue sky and white clouds. Her arms flailed and legs splayed as she tumbled over and over in the air. 

Blue. That was all she could see. Blue above, blue below. She was falling, but it was still hard to tell which way was really down. Was she falling into the sky or out of it? 

Her lungs hurt and ribs felt like they were cracking anew as her cries were cruelly silenced by the rushing force of gravity pulling on her. 

As she continued to fall and scream Sutton could now make out a gray blobby shape during every rotation. It continued to get bigger, quickly, and Sutton felt her fear spike again. Her chest burned; she couldn’t breathe. Her mane of hair was blocking her vision of it now, but she knew how she was going to die in a moment. As if hitting the ground or her heart giving out wouldn’t have been good enough; she was going to hit a plane. Land on top of a plane, to be precise, but at these speeds a fact like that was irrelevant.

Sutton let out a terrified sob, her tears beaten back by the wind before they could ever form. 

Maybe she deserved this. After what she’d done, maybe this was fair. 

[][][][][][][][][]

Tony’s face was white like paper as the machine confirmed that both codes had been successfully transferred over. He was moving before he’d fully realized he was still in control of his legs. 

“Jarvis! Give me the coordinates for where those two were sent!”

_ [Latitude:N 39° 1.66313', Longitude:W 57° 49.921875', sir.] _

Throwing a hand forward, various sections of Tony’s Iron Man suit came flying towards him to snap on to his body. 

_ [Sir,]  _ Jarvis continued. The AI’s tone was actually cautious.  _ [That location is out over the Atlantic Ocean. Even your suit is not capable of speeds-] _

But Tony wasn’t listening. He’d donned his suit and shot out of the tower so fast that the others hardly had a chance to react. 

A map was projected at the end of the lab. Two dots blinked on the screen and Jane covered her mouth with her hand, shaking. 

“He’s not going to make it.”

[][][][][][][][][][]

Tyrese awoke to a thundering crashing that reverberated around the walls of his room. He shot up in his bed as he shouted in surprise. The wall across from his bed looked like someone had thrown all his pictures and notes onto the floor.

The shield was gone.

His bedroom door burst open and his parents stood in the doorway in their pajamas, looking haggard and frightened. 

“What’s going on,” his mother asked. “What was that?”   
His father eyed the mess on the floor and then looked at his son.

“Are you ok?”

Tyrese still couldn’t fully grasp that he’d just lost the one connection he had left to his sister. 

“It’s gone,” he said. “Captain America’s shield is gone.”

[][][][][][][][][][]

The plane was almost under her now, and Sutton didn’t know if it was her body dysfunctioning further, but she thought she saw a shadow of something flash near her. And then something hit her. It was hard, cool from the wind, and incredibly solid. 

It was right next to her, flipping wildly and flashing in the light. She could hardly see. But perhaps her cries had been heard, because in one fleeting moment, she did notice that the object had a hand strap. Sutton reached out, fingertips stretching for a hold. The plane was under her now. She'd hit it in a moment. With one last push Sutton managed a grip on the object and curled herself into it. 

She hit the plane with a tremendous  _ bang!,  _ but the object beneath her seemed to absorb most of the blow. For a moment longer, she was alive. 

  
The object beneath her clutches blocked out a bit of wind and she built up enough breath to speak. 

_ “Help me!” _   
There was a terrible metallic scraping noise as she slid down the top of the plane, only to fall off the back. All she could think was that she was grateful she at least wouldn’t be chopped up by the jet engines. 

Vicious butterflies tore through her insides again and her vision blackened as she toppled over the edge of the plane and dropped. Sutton fell lower, wind cutting at her skin and a hole being torn in her chest. A jarring vibration shot through her as she hit solid metal again. The thing she was on instantly went screeching and sliding downwards. Sutton’s eyes were clamped shut as she maintained her white-knuckle grip on the hand strap. Her vision had been practically black. She could hear nothing but the roaring wind. 

She did not want to see how she died or hear the screams anyway. 

Her body tilted as if ready to fall again when something clamped around her ankle. 

It was warm. 

Her body halted and Sutton’s eyes snapped open. All she could see she assumed was sky because it was a hazy blue. The edge of her vision was a bit gray. Her hair lashed out around her face, but she could still see a bit of metal beneath her. 

Gray? Metal? 

The grip on her ankle was pulling her backwards and she gasped painfully. 

She hadn’t gotten away. He had her again. He was pulling her back into his ship and he was going to kill her or torture her again or use her to hurt more people. Sutton shrieked loudly, but the noise cost her. It felt like her throat had ripped open and fingers were digging into her chest to tear out her heart. The leg not being held kicked back, but the move was sluggish after being curled against the cool curve of whatever she still lay on. She didn’t feel it connect with anything, but she managed to hear a murmuring sound that wasn’t wind. 

She was pulled further in and the blue was suddenly blocked out by gray. The wind

disappeared but her ears were still ringing in the silence.

“No, no, no!”    
She couldn’t think. She couldn’t move. Sutton kicked, spasmed, and refused to release her hold on the hand strap. 

The pain in her chest stretched out farther into her limbs and bit down. Her lungs seized and she couldn’t feel the grip around her ankle anymore. 

[][][][][][][][][][]

Tony was rocketing so quickly through the air that his thrusters were in danger of actually giving out. He set his course for the fastest path to intersect Sutton. If he missed her, if he messed this up, he’d never forgive himself. All of the months of work, all of the struggle, to know that she could have survived up to this point only to die from his negligence would cripple him. 

The ocean stretched out below him, glittering blue that bled into the sky. At speeds like she was traveling, after falling from thousands of feet, the water was no longer beautiful, but deadly.

_ [Sir, trajectory predictions do not look hopeful.] _

__ “Not now, Jarvis,” he grit out. 

He had to make it. He hadn’t been able to save her before, he couldn’t fail her now.

The dots on the map in his helmet abruptly disappeared.

[][][][][][][][][]

__ _ “....heart stopped…?” _

__ _ “....losing!...” _

__ _ “...You!... -r alive…” _

__ _ “... no time….” _

__ _ “-ospital! ….Flat! No pul-” _

[][][][][][][][][]

There was light all around her and a pungent flowery smell so strong that it could be considered an assault on the senses. The overpowering smell, so much like her grandmother's old perfume, was what really had her struggling for consciousness. It was hard to open her eyes, like they were being held closed by superglue as she tried to peel her eyelids apart. The brightness seared across her vision when she finally managed to crack them open and she let out a little hiss, which she instantly regretted. A dulled pain shot across the left side of her chest and she gasped another breath. She didn't want to jump again! The pain was a bit different this time, sharper and a bit more biting, like a healing paper cut, but for all she knew it meant the same thing.

This time she wouldn't live through it.

A beeping in the background grew louder and faster as she gained focus, her eyes finally adjusting and able to take in the room. Color exploded in her vision. White walls were overshadowed by countless vases filled to overflowing with flowers and several bunches of multicolored balloons. There were so many different types of flowers that she couldn't even identify them all, didn't have the mind for it right now anyway. There was a tightness in her chest as she sucked in a few more panicked breaths and tried to sit up higher. Her limbs were too weak to hold any weight and she ended up just arching uselessly against the mattress and causing herself more discomfort.

She noted, due to the movement, that she wasn’t strapped to the bed or restrained in anyway and took that as a good sign. 

Medical equipment lined the room and there was a tube going from her arm up to a plastic bag hanging above her. Hospital; she was in a hospital. But where? Where was she? There was a small pulse of relief as she noted the lack of holoscreens and glowing blues and silvers. But she still wasn’t safe. How had she gotten here?

She’d been falling. Falling from the sky and… and hitting a plane? She should be dead. How was she not dead?

A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye and there was the sound of a doorknob jiggling and a creak. Sutton turned her head to look as swiftly as her sluggish body would allow her and gasped. Emotion bubbled and climbed like shaken carbonation up her throat only to catch there and make her feel as though she were about to burst. Her eyes were instantly hot and burning and she couldn’t stop her raspy voice from cracking as she croaked.

“Tony?”

He looked up from his act of quietly closing the door he’d come through with a smile already half formed on his face. Sutton burst into wet, heaving sobs as he put down the Styrofoam coffee cup in his hand and moved over to her.

It was him! She was back!

He got close and she threw herself forward and clung to him with all the ferocity of a repentant prodigal son. He was solid and warm and she was back.

He reciprocated her hug with arms gently and carefully placed around her shoulders and Sutton couldn’t stop herself from crying into his shoulder. Tony was silent for a few moments and just let her cling to him and it felt  _ so good _ .

How long had it been since she’d last been held? Since she’d last hugged a loved one?

Far too long.

She felt his hand combing through her hair as he began to hum reassurances.

“You’re alright, Small Fry. You’re back now. You’re safe.”

Tony’s voice was low and soothing and Sutton began to slow the flow of tears that she was too exhausted to be embarrassed by. She gave him one last squeeze before pulling away and the pressure shot a sharp pain across her chest that made her gasp lightly. Her thoughts began to jumble in panic as her fingers dug into the flesh of his arms. She could hardly get the words out.

“No, no, no, Tony-Tony there’s a watch, there has to be a watch! I can’t go again, you have to get the watch and-“

“Hey, hey, hey.”

Both his hands cupped the sides of her face and he directed her line of sight to be focused on him.

“It’s alright, you’re fine. I got it taken care of, ok? You’re not going anywhere.”

She gripped his wrists and tried to make him understand. If she left again, she wouldn’t make it. She shouldn’t have made it this time. Even if she lived, she couldn’t handle being lost and alone again.

“I felt it, Tony. It hurts, it always hurts-“

She took another deep, gasping breath and the pain shot through again. The beeping in the background picked up speed. She lifted a hand to grasp at the skin under her collarbone, but Tony caught her wrist before she managed to do so.

“The pain in your chest, right? That’s what you’re talking about? Sutton, listen to me, I already found the watch. You’re not going anywhere, understand?”

Sutton didn’t quite calm, but she gave Tony more attention as his words worked to break through her panic.

“What you’re feeling now, that’s something else. I can explain, but you have to calm down.”

“You found the watch,” she asked.

Tony smiled thinly and nodded.

“I found the watch.” He smirked cheekily in what was probably an attempt to calm her down further. “Pretty nifty device, if you ask me. The tech on that thing was almost too ridiculous though.”

Sutton took a few more breaths, not quite as deep, and kept her hold on Tony’s arms as the beeping slowed and her blood stopped rushing in her ears. Tony was smart; she could trust Tony. He hadn’t lied to her when she’d first left Marvel earth in a terrified panic, so he wouldn’t lie to her now. 

Eventually she let him go and dropped her arms back to the mattress while she eyed him through her damp lashes. She stared at him silently as the quiet of the room grew and her panic lessened.

“It smells like my grandma in here,” she said.

Tony’s eyes flashed and he cracked half a smile as he sat down in a seat next to her bed.

“Yeah, well, no one knew what kind of flowers you liked, so we just got all of them.”

She nodded shallowly and her eyes glanced quickly around the room so full of color; she wet her lips and they were dry and chapped.

“I shouldn’t have made it,” she said quietly. Tony tensed next to her, though she only saw it out of her peripheral vision. “I know I shouldn’t have.”

“In your world, you wouldn’t have.”

Sutton frowned and finally realized that there was something wrapped around her upper chest. She could feel the airy cotton of gauze rubbing against the underside of her arm. It hadn't even registered before, but now it was obvious and distracting. Her frown deepened as she carefully ghosted her fingertips over the thick wrapping.

“By the time we got to you,” Tony's voice dipped here, and Sutton looked back up at him in concern, “well, by then your heart had stopped. They, uh, they couldn't get it to start  back up normally again. Too much wear and tear. Obviously a transplant wasn't an option, so-” he shrugged and tried to smirk, but there wasn't any sincerity behind it.

“We're twinsies now.”

Her fingers pressed more firmly on the gauze as her eyes widened; Tony's smile was grim and unamused. Her mouth was filled with cotton and she could hardly believe what he said could be true.

_ Her? _

“I have- my heart doesn't work anymore?”

“Not on its own, no.”

Sutton nodded absentmindedly, still struggling to process all the incoming information.

“And the watch?”

Tony grimaced in what looked like guilt or pity.

“That's where yours differs,” he said. “I had to incorporate the tech from the watch into the reactor. It's a bit more... extensive. But don't worry about it right now, kid, you have the rest of your life to fret over it.”

Sutton let her hand fall away from the gauze as she looked back up to Tony. He had dark bags under his bloodshot eyes and his skin looked a bit more sallow than she remembered it being. He'd picked at his nails while speaking of her new medical enhancement and seemed altogether unsure about her response. She tried to give him a tired, teasing smile.

“I know you always thought you were my favorite, but Tony, come on. This- this is pretty egotistical even for you.”

He laughed lightly, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and scrunched his nose. She could see the muscles in his shoulders loosen and she let herself lay back against the bed limply. 

Her body was feeling heavy with exhaustion again, but she didn’t want to sleep. She’d only just opened her eyes. To close them again so soon, she just didn’t trust herself to stay.  And she didn’t want to risk dreaming right now. Instead she reached her hand out over the bed and Tony complied and grasped her hand in his own. His fingers were so calloused. Her eyes started watering again and she sucked in a shallow breath while blinking rapidly.

“I, uh, I think I hit a plane,” she said. 

There were a few emotions that flashed across Tony’s face, and she was confused to realize guilt was one of them.

“You did,” he said wearily. With his free hand he rubbed at his eyes. “There was an error. You shouldn’t-shouldn’t’ve… Anyway; there was a SHIELD team investigating the signal you put out. It was, well, as close to a miracle as you can get.” He coughed as if to rid himself of the emotion that had crept up in his voice. “And you’re lucky Cap is such a forgetful old man.”    
  


She didn’t quite get the reference. Her memory of falling was muddled and she didn’t remember Steve having anything to do with her brief skydiving experience. 

“What?”   
Tony nodded towards the wall opposite her and she shifted to look in the direction he was indicating. There, leaning against the wall, rested Captain America’s shield. There were two lines where paint had been stripped from the metal. She remembered a loud screeching wail and a hand strap. 

“It was left in your dimension,” Tony explained. “We had to pull it back through first in order to get you. Lucky we did.”

She didn’t know what to say. Her hand remained securely in Tony’s and it felt like maybe that was holding her in this dimension more than anything else. 

“I knew you’d look for me. If anyone could do it, you could. It might’ve- just, thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me.” Her voice was breaking again and she bit harshly on her already dry lower lip. Tony’s eyes were actually rimmed red and she wasn’t quite sure how to process that. 

“I wasn’t going to just leave you, kid,” he said. “And I had a good team. It was always just a matter of time. I’m just glad we made it.”

He shifted in his seat and twisted to glance out the window into the hospital hall. 

“I should get a nurse and let you get some rest. You’ve been out of surgery for a few days, but you’ve got a ways to go in recovering.” 

Sutton’s fingers curled tighter around Tony’s. 

“I don’t want to go to sleep,” she blurted. Panic managed to seep into her voice despite her attempts to keep her tone even and Tony frowned.

“I promise you aren’t going to be zipping off, Sutton.” He paused to study her more closely and Sutton looked away back towards the shield. “What happened to you, Small Fry? Where’ve you been?”

She let go of his hand and pressed herself further into the hospital bed. Her tongue felt suddenly thick in her mouth. 

“Lots of places,” she finally managed to say. “I, uh, you trip a lot travelling the way I did.”   
Tony’s frown didn’t go away but he didn’t say anything else about it. He stood before the silence simmered for too long and told her he had to find a nurse. They still had to monitor her heart and make sure the area healing stayed clean and dry. She watched him leave the room, his coffee cup still sitting untouched and steaming on the table next to her. 

[][][]

Doctors and nurses were in and out of her room for the next couple of days. Tony was a welcome anchor through it all. 

They told her that besides the heart failure, she’d had three cracked ribs and one actually broken, a hairline fracture in her right orbital bone, three healing dislocated fingers which had been continuously strained, a severely sprained knee, had lost a few pounds too many, and had only nearly avoided any organ rupture from her blow with the plane. The staff commented mildly that most of her injuries were more than a few days old, and Sutton only smiled falsely and told them she got into a lot of accidents on her way back home. They chose not to comment on that further for the time being. 

_ Home. _

This was her home now. For real. For good. She’d known it in her head and accepted it, embraced it even, up to a certain point. But it was different and weird now that it was real. She was so sure she’d wake up and find it was all a dream. Maybe none of it had happened or she’d never really made it back or maybe she’d never actually escaped. 

Perhaps she didn’t want to truly accept the fact that she was safe and alive. It felt wrong having the opportunity to finally rest. She’d almost brought worlds crashing down on each other. She still might’ve ruined one altogether.

Thinking about it made it difficult to eat, which meant she picked at most of the meals the hospital gave her. And that meant the nurses noticed. Their responses ranged from concerned to irritated, and it wasn’t that she was trying to be difficult. She really did like food. But every time she took a few bites her stomach would fill up and she’d feel queasy and couldn’t force any more down. 

On the fourth day she was told that she could be released the following morning. There didn’t seem to be any complications with the arc reactor and all other wounds didn’t require a hospital stay. That, at least, was a relief. Tony was absolutely insisting that she return to the tower and not her own apartment, and for once she didn’t argue. She hadn’t paid her rent in months anyway. 

She was only half reading a book when the door to her private room opened and Tony walked in. He was alone this time. The previous day Pepper had come by to see how she was doing and after she’d come and gone Tony had introduced her to Jane Foster and Reed Richards. Sutton had been surprised at how young Reed actually was, but she thanked them sincerely for all their work in helping get her back home. 

“Hey,” Tony said, eyeing her as if to gage for himself how she was doing. “You up for any more visitors? Hope so, because they’re right outside.”

Sutton put the book down and eyed the door curiously. Perhaps it was Avery and Maggie come to see if their fellow Stark Industries employee had survived. Although, she didn’t feel like she knew them well enough to warrant a hospital visit. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” she said when it was obvious he was waiting for an answer. 

“Ok, cool.”

He reopened the door and leaned part way out. Sutton still couldn’t see who was waiting beyond the threshold. 

“She’s awake,” he said. “Come on.”   
The door opened and Sutton sat up straighter, though she flinched a little at the discomfort, as Natasha, Clint, and Steve filed in. Her hands flew up to her hair and she tried to comb the strands into some order as she pulled her hair over her shoulder to try and hide the bruising by her right eye. 

“Could ‘a given me a heads up,” she griped under her breath. 

But really she was delighted to see them. Even if she didn’t know them as well as she could have, Natasha and Clint less so, she really did care for them. 

“Hey guys,” she said with a small wave. “Long time no see.”

They all lined up at the side of her bed, and Natasha leaned down for a quick hug. She had a bag of what looks like various sweets and what looked like yarn and knitting needles topped with a bow. Sutton welcomed the physical contact, though she tried not to make it so obvious. 

“These are for you,” she said. “It’s good to see you back and alright. You missed all the weird space drama.” 

“I think I found enough to make up for it.”

Clint was watching with legs apart and arms akimbo. While he looked friendly and happy enough to see her, there was still a wariness in his eyes as he scanned over her injuries. 

“I’m glad you’re ok, kid, cause you look like-”    
“You really needed the rest,” Steve cut in. He shot Clint a look which the archer just shrugged at. 

Natasha leaned forward again, stage whispering with a small mocking smile on her face.

“They’ll try and act cool, but a couple of these guys were really worried about you.”

“See anything interesting while you were gone?” Clint finally smirked a bit as he shifted his stance to something more casual. Sutton winced reflexively before smoothing the expression out into a grin. She pulled the fingers on her right hand closer to her body and out of direct view. 

“Harry Potter,” she said. “I met him and went to Hogwarts.”

Steve tilted his head in an adorable, puppy-like confusion, but Clint’s face lit up.

“No way. They’re all real?”

“As real as you or me.”

“Did you find out your house? Like officially?”   
Sutton’s face went flat and Clint’s face only lit up more.

“I bet you’re Hufflepuff. You are, aren’t you! You’re a Puff!”   
Finally, her expression turned to a glower and she looked away in annoyance while muttering a confirmation. 

“I don’t- I don’t get it,” Steve said. Clint clapped his hands together.

“Oh, that’s perfect. I always knew it. It makes so much sense.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. 

“Says the Gryffindor.” 

“I really don’t get it.”

Tony clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder.

“Chill, Old Timer. You’ll get caught up on all the cool kid stuff someday.”   
“Anywhere else,” Natasha asked.

Sutton shifted slightly. Even Tony seemed interested. She hadn’t really gotten around to talking about this part yet. Being back was still so new. 

“Um, a few universes. Star Wars, Doctor Who, St-uh.” Her stutter over her next answer was all too obvious. “Twilight. But that one was weird.” Her choice to skip one location was doubly so. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and shrugged to signify her list was complete.

“Well,” said Natasha, “it sounds like it was quite the adventure.”    
“Hopefully this boring old universe will be enough to satisfy you now,” Clint added cheekily. Sutton twisted a curl around the fingers on her left hand.

“I think I’ll be able to make it work.”

Tony’s phone chirped, and he looked down before readdressing the group. 

“Pepper,” he said as explanation. “I need to take this.”

Sutton watched as he left the room and then noticed that Natasha and Clint were moving as well. 

“We better get going too,” Natasha said. “We had to come see you were ok, but there’s a few debriefings that need to get done. At least Agent Ladino will be out of Tony’s hair now.”

Sutton frowned. 

“Ladino? Isn't that- Axel? That-Oh, of course,” she snapped. “Obviously. Did Fury seriously plant someone at my work and then force him to try to befriend me? That’s just- seriously?”

“Don’t take it personally, kid.” 

“Thanks, Clint. That really helped.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and Clint snapped a sassy wave as he was ushered through the door. 

“See ya later!”

“Try not to wring Tony’s neck. Knitting always helps me. He’s gonna be a total mother hen after all this.”   
  


The room quieted as the door closed. Sutton sighed. Perhaps it was the constant drip of painkillers she was on, but she belatedly realized that Steve hadn’t left with the rest of the group. Was it possible for him to look even bigger than the last time she’d seen him? It seemed like he’d started doing his hair differently too. It actually looked nice. 

What could he possibly want to stay for when everyone else was gone? 

Oh! Of course!

“Your shield is right there,” she said while detangling her fingers from her hair and pointing. “I guess I should thank you for forgetting it. It really did save my life.” 

Steve sat in the chair next to her bed. Sutton furrowed her brow and tried not to look flustered. 

“I’m glad I did forget it. And I’m glad you’re ok,” he said. He paused and looked at her still only half eaten tray from breakfast. “Tony says you haven’t been eating much since you got back.”

“Oh, well, yeah. I guess. I mean, it’s just, uh, getting used to it. Eating so much, I mean. I mean, I ate, sure, of course, but sometimes-”

“Sutton,” he gently interrupted. “He thinks you need to talk to someone. And for once, I think I agree with him.”

Her mouth opened and closed a few times as her mind processed what he was saying. They had been talking about her behind her back? Tony was worried about her? She’d been acting so chill! 

“I’m fine,” she said. “Really. It’s only been a few days since I got back and I’m sure I’ll be fine in a bit.”

Steve’s lips pressed together in clear disagreement. 

“I fought in a war, remember? There are certain looks people get,” he said. The heart monitor next to Sutton started to beep faster. Her left hand curled into a fist. Steve leaned forward and make eye contact with her, though his gaze was soft. She bit down on the inside of her cheek.

“Sutton, what happened to you?”


	31. Zipped Lips

What had happened to her? What had  _ happened to her? _

 

He was really asking her that? Right now? She'd only been awake for four days! Why would they try to force this out of her so soon; or at all? What had happened to “recovery time”? Were they getting in a twist just because she’d only eaten maybe one and a half full meals since she woke up? It had to be that. There was no way Tony could know about her sleepless nights. He left at night to get some rest of his own, and because she insisted on it. She knew he left. 

“I- I just told you,” she said. “I jumped universes over and over again.”

Steve didn't look deterred by her answer, which made her feel like he had been expecting it, which made her supremely uncomfortable. 

“I mean,” he reiterated, “how did you get hurt.”

 

She had to take a moment to breathe and fight back the snapping reply that came first to her lips. He thought he was helping, but it only felt like trapping her. 

“Like I told Tony, when you zip across uni-”

“You know that Tony doesn't believe a word of that. Neither do the doctors, and neither do I. According to them, all those injuries originally occurred around the same time.”

Sutton found that somehow her knees had been drawn up towards her chest and she sucked desperately at the inside of her bottom lip. He was being cruel to do this. 

 

_ But not as cruel as she'd been. _

 

“Doctors,” she scoffed. “Look no offense to them, but I'm sure they haven't dealt with a situation like this before. There are…different variables.”

He paused. Sutton kept sucking at her lower lip and couldn't look at him. He wouldn't understand, none of them would.

 

_ There was nothing to understand. She had done something terribly wrong, and now she just didn’t want to say the words aloud. Because she was still a coward.  _

 

“Are you done deflecting now,” he asked. “Because I can do this all day.” 

She hated that she was almost crying again. 

“Listen, no one is trying to hurt you further; and no one wants to pressure you. But this is obviously affecting you enough to alter your behavior. And you can't go on not eating.” 

 

He didn't get it! They were all heroes! They all would have made the sacrifice! 

 

“Can you just stop,” she snapped loudly. “Can you just stop being nice? Because you'd regret it if you knew!”

Steve quieted like she asked and Sutton panted, her left hand gripping the sheets. What did he want to hear? That she had royally screwed up in an unforgivable way? That she had sold out an entire universe to save her own skin? That now every time she saw even just a flash of dark, slicked back hair she couldn't breathe?

 

He still hadn't moved. She wanted him to leave, not stare at her with an expression dangerously close to sympathy. 

“You would all hate me if you knew what I did. You'd send me right back through that machine.”

“No one hates you, Sutton. Did you see Tony? The guy looks like he almost needs to stay in here with you. He loves you.” 

“Right now he does.” 

She'd honestly been trying to forget all that had happened to cause the bruises and aches since she left Khan’s grasp. But not what she'd done to Kirk and his crew. She owed it to them to remember. 

“Who did it to you,” Steve finally asked quietly. 

Sutton clamped down on her lower lip and swallowed down the bile that tried to creep up.

“I did it to myself.” It was the closest truth she felt able to admit to at this point. “Can we just… not talk about this right now? I just- want a bit more time with- without-”  
_Without their disgusted and disappointed gazes._ But Steve wouldn’t understand that now. He didn’t know all the details. He would to try reassuring her when she didn’t deserve it.

 

Her voice trailed off to a whisper and then silence, and Steve took a deep breath in. 

“Yeah.” He relented. “Sure. But, Sutton, you can’t keep it bottled up forever.”

“I know.”   
She forced her knees down away from her chest as the interrogation ended. Steve still looked unsettled, as if ending this conversation and letting her off the hook was like trying to swallow down a persistent cough. Sutton wet her lips again before the silence became awkward.

“So, you and Natasha been doing a lot of missions lately? Anything interesting?”   
His demeanor shifted at her question. The tension in his shoulders was let out and he forced a thin smile as he nodded. 

“I think Fury likes our teamwork, and Natasha is a good partner. Very efficient.”

“She’s got a quirky sense of humor.”

Steve laughed a little. 

“She really does. Sometimes at inappropriate times.”

Sutton did laugh at that, and she could feel a slight pull in her chest around the reactor from the action. Her fingers ghosted over the gauze again and she swallowed.

“The best kind of humor then. Are you liking it, though? Working for SHIELD?”

Steve opened his mouth, squinted and reconsidered, then huffed lightly.

“To be honest, I don’t know.” Sutton leaned forward a bit on the bed and waited for an explanation. “It seems like the right thing to do, for now,” he confessed. “But, it’s different. I don’t know. Maybe I was frozen too long.”

“Like, everyone you know is gone, and you don’t quite know what to do with yourself anymore? You’re not quite the same as you used to be, and trying to stick with old habits and activities feels somehow wrong. You feel guilty for feeling happy, but then flip around and feel equally guilty for not living life?”

 

Steve’s eyes widened momentarily and his breathing hitched a little. 

“Yeah. A lot like that. Is that- Have you been dealing with that since you first got here?”   
Sutton shot him an unappreciative glare.

“You’re asking questions again, Steve.”  
“Maybe someone should have a long time ago. Sutton-”

“Well, you’re one to talk!”   
Sutton winced as Steve’s expression shuttered. A beat passed. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have- that was wrong. I know you want to help, I just-”  
“You’re not ready.”

She shook her head because she didn’t know if she wanted to say  _ ‘not now’  _ or  _ ‘not ever’ _ . Steve nodded again and stood up.

“I should let you rest. Tony says you’re getting out of here tomorrow.”   
  


Words left her as he moved to pick up his shield to take with him. It felt wrong, but part of her was relieved that he was leaving. He was poking too many wounds, cutting down to the heart of the matter, and she didn’t like it. If he stayed too long the words might pour out of her, and she didn’t want that yet.

He lifted the shield like it weighed no more than a frisbee and slid the hand strap over his arm. His eyes darted downward and he frowned as he brought the shield higher to eye level. His eyes widened.

“Did- did Tony ever say anything about my shield?”   
Sutton frowned in return. 

“Only that I was clinging to it for dear life when they found me. Why?”   
His gaze cut to her and anxiety spiked in her veins as he hesitated before moving over to set the shield in her lap. With his eyes he gestured to a spot on the inside of the curve, and Sutton looked down. 

It caught her eye quickly, because it was dark black on metallic silver.  _ Marker? _ Sharpie. A short message had been inked onto the metal surface. 

_ I miss you Sutton. We still love you so much. - Tyrese _

 

Her left hand shook as she clamped it over her mouth and she actually couldn’t stop her eyes from spilling tears. The mattress sank and Steve placed a hand on her shoulder. A short, high-pitched whine squeaked out as she pulled her hand away from her mouth and hiccuped through cries.

“He had it.” The room blurred as she shook and tried to wipe at her eyes. “He had it! All this time. M-m-m-maybe h-he got the n-note.”

“I'm sure he did,” Steve said. “You always said he’s a smart kid. He probably put the pieces together.” 

Tyrese. Gosh, she missed him so much. And he was having a hard time, she could tell from just the message. He usually tried not to be so sappy since he’d become a teenager. A pain that had nothing to do with the new reactor racked through her chest. 

It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. And she was still hurting people without even having to do anything at all. 

 

She continued to hiccup as she fought to subdue her own crying. Steve’s hand was still firm on her shoulder as he held her close. She leaned into his touch because she still was soaking up physical contact from people she actually liked. 

“Sorry,” she finally whispered. “Sorry, I'm being-”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

 

She had a lot to be sorry for, but he was probably right that this wasn’t one of them. Still, she felt like she was using him a bit for emotional support, and he didn’t owe her that. Especially not after she’d snapped at him like she had. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you and using you like a pillow.” She tried to joke; Steve was kind enough to spare her some of her dignity. “Thank you. And thanks for showing me the note. Do you think, maybe, I could take a picture?”  
“Of course!”  
  


He ended up having to take a picture of Tyrese’s message for her because her hands were still shaking a bit too much for a clear shot. Steve easily navigated the phone without direction from her and the Stark phone was quickly back in her hands. 

“Thank you.”

Sutton turned the phone face down on the bed so that the picture was out of sight for the moment. Steve lifted his shield off her lap and it felt like the metal pulled much of the built up warmth away with it. 

“I feel bad leaving you like this,” Steve said as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “But SHIELD-”  
“No, it’s fine.” Sutton interjected. “Thank you for coming to see me at all. I’m fine, really. I just wasn’t expecting- anything like that. I need to- I’ll probably take a nap anyway.”  
  


Steve’s face furrowed, but he really didn’t have much choice. Sutton knew he didn’t have enough free time to hang around her all day. The man had a world to protect; not that he should have that burden. She threw a small smile in his direction and hoped it seemed reassuring. 

“Go be a hero, or whatever,” she said. “I’m alive and whole, that’s more than other people can say.” 

 

He stiffly nodded once and glanced over her briefly before reaching for the door handle. He tapped twice on the handle in thought before looking back at her. 

“We’ll talk later,” he said. 

Sutton bit her lip and winced. 

“Sure.”   
  


Never in her life would she have expected that she could make Steve Rogers frown so many times in one conversation. But it seemed like her lying and deflection abilities were still something to be desired. She wondered if she could convince Natasha to help her with that. 

 

She watched as his shoulders rolled when he walked out into the hall and made his way the same direction that Natasha had headed. 

 

When the door clicked closed the room was stagnant in its silence.

 

[][][]

 

The nurses forced her to ride in a wheelchair down to the hospital entrance due to “policy”, and Tony was there the entire time fussing and agreeing with the medical staff. Sutton was vaguely amused by his sudden compliance with any authority. 

He caught her under her arms, careful of her still mending ribs, when she attempted to stand on her own and wobbled dangerously on the way to the car. 

“I can't have forgotten how to stand after a week and a half,” she griped. 

“You died for a second,” Tony admonished. “You’re lucky that you’re out of that chair at all.”   
She ignored that comment and focused on making sure each step that she took was stable. 

Outside the hospital walls the sun was hidden behind a blanket of thick clouds. The air smelled cold and sharp as if in promise of snow. Sutton had forgotten what season it was when she left; she realized she still didn’t know the date and her skin chilled completely unrelated to the temperature. 

“What’s the date?”

“Huh?”   
Her grip on Tony’s arms tightened until her fingernails were just starting to dig into his skin. 

“The date! What’s the date? I should know what day it is!”  
“It’s December seventeenth. Calm down, Small Fry; it’s just the date.” 

Sutton forced herself to breathe despite the pulling in her chest and ribs that the painkillers couldn’t quite touch. 

“December seventeenth,” she repeated. “I should’ve known that. I had my phone. December seventeenth two-thousand and thirteen?”

“Yeah.”

Her body sagged a bit further into him, using him more like a crutch than not. Tony looked like he was about to say something, but was interrupted by Pepper greeting them in the parking lot. Her smile flickered at the sight of them, but she maintained it like the professional she was.

“Are we all good to go,” she asked. “I bet you're excited to finally get some fresh air.”

Sutton nodded and tried to shove down the ridiculous surge of panic that had tried to rise up. Tony shifted her weight and opened the back door is the car.

“Definitely,” she agreed.

 

She settled into the back seat and sighed in relief as the pressure on her shaking legs disappeared. The car started with a purr and Sutton was content to listen to the tones of Tony and Pepper’s conversation in the front seat. 

The scenery outside her window grew more familiar the closer to Avengers Tower they got. She recognized the street she’d turn on in order to go to the library and the hotdog salesman who’d been in the same spot since she arrived in this universe and overcharged to tourists. It felt distant and close all at once. 

“I had your things brought over to the Tower,” Tony said. She’d been half listening to him anyway, so his voice didn’t surprise her. Neither did his statement. Sutton nodded with her forehead leaning against the glass of the window. 

“Thank you. Um, how long ‘til I need to be back at work,” she asked. 

“Are you kidding me?”

Tony glanced back at her in the rearview mirror and Sutton snorted lightly. Pepper  _ tsked _ while shaking her head. 

“Just don’t want to, you know, leech off you,” she quipped. “You’ve already done so much.”

“How about you just take some time to heal and readjust?” Pepper twisted around in her seat to make eye contact. “It’s not like feeding you will put a dent in his savings.”

“I’ll write you off as a charity donation or a dependant come tax season.” 

 

Sutton rolled her eyes but smiled. 

“If you insist.”   
She really was too tired to argue, and going back to work so soon did not appeal to her no matter how much she liked her job. But the manners and considerations her mother had taught to her since birth weren’t easy to toss aside. She at least had to offer the suggestion. 

 

When the familiar tower rose before them in the city center and Tony pulled off the road and into a private parking garage, Sutton felt something uncurl the tiniest bit from her stomach. She’d made it here without disappearing. The tower felt like a safe base. She felt along the edges of the gauze under her shirt. 

If she could make it inside the building perhaps the modifications Tony made to the watch really were permanent. 

Tony parked the car and both he and Pepper helped maneuver her out of the car. Her questionable balance was really starting to get on her nerves. Pepper must have seen her make an irritated face, because she smiled gently and admonished her playfully.

“The doctors said that you could go home, not that you were fully functional.”

Sutton harrumphed. 

 

They all rode an elevator up to the floor which housed personal rooms. The room which had been designated as hers for the foreseeable future was down a hall to the right of the elevators. Tony hefted her up princess style when he decided she wasn’t walking fast enough and when he finally noticed she was panting a bit from the strain of walking. Apparently she wasn’t supposed to exert herself too much while the arc reactor was newly implanted. 

The room Tony gave her already had her things inside. There were a few boxes stacked off to the side, but most of her things had been put away, given that she hadn’t had much in the first place. It was clean and smelled fresh, and the walls were painted a light, calming blue that cheered the space up. Sutton sank into the bed when Tony sat her down on the fluffy comforter. 

“Thanks.” 

“Just get some rest, kid. Call Jarvis if you need anything.”

 

She felt like she’d been doing a lot of sleeping lately, but still found herself drifting off as the lights in the room dimmed. After all, she’d never met a nap she didn’t take. Wait, did that make sense? Sutton let out a relieved sigh as she snuggled further into the downy sheets.

When she woke again it was late afternoon and she was getting hot under the blankets. She pushed them off, careful of her knee, and limped out of the bed. A large sparkling-glass window off to the side served as a wall to the room and gave her a stunning view of the city below. Mentally she made a note to never change without tinting the glass first. 

Under her shirt, the gauze rubbed against her skin irritatingly and Sutton scowled as she tried to itch around it. She still didn’t even know what  _ it _ looked like. Since she’d woken a nurse had cleaned the area everyday, and everytime Sutton hadn’t had the nerves to look. It was such a silly thing but she hadn’t been able to help herself. Tony had looked so uncertain about whatever was now clamped below her left collar bone. It made her nervous as to what she’d find.

She didn’t really know if she was supposed to unwrap the gauze around her chest unnecessarily, but she was going to. Now that she had a moment alone and the quiet, and had a full length mirror in her own personal bathroom. It seemed like a good time to finally face whatever was permanently implanted in her ribcage. 

Walking was getting better, but she still sat on the edge of the tub when facing the mirror. Tentatively, she pulled down on the straps of her camisole until it sat low like a tube top. The white gauze was stark even against her skin and was wrapped thickly enough that she couldn’t see what was underneath. Sutton took a deep breath, felt that tugging on her skin, and reached for the tail end of the wrapping. 

The first thing she noticed was still swollen, red skin. Then came a flash of silver. She breathed again and pulled the loose gauze the rest of the way off. It slid down around her torso and left the top half of her chest exposed. She sat stoically as she got her first real glimpse of the device keeping her alive and grounded in this world. 

The arc reactor stood out prominently, glowing a blue-white light out of the expected

circular shaped disc. It sat directly over her heart on her left side and she swore she could feel the buzz as it continuously shocked her heart into contracting. The reactor was surrounded by a rectangular strip of metal. It was made up of some interwoven pieces that reminded her of the inside of a watch that had been mashed with a computer motherboard. The metal stretched from almost her sternum over and back, around her ribcage where it ended just under her arm. The skin around the edges of it was a bit puckered, but she could tell that the doctors had tried to keep her skin as smooth as possible. 

“It’s not that bad,” she told herself. 

It kept her not dead. She couldn't hate it for that reason alone. Not to mention all the effort that Tony and Jane and Reed had invested in finding and saving her. Who knew where she’d be now if it weren’t for them? 

The skin around the metal was tender when she prodded at it gently. Scoop neck tees would be awkward now for sure, or at least draw more attention than normal. 

She eased onto her legs, decided that the thing in her chest was probably waterproof, and started a shower. 

 

After her shower she shuffled to the nearest kitchen according to Jarvis. There she choked down an entire granola bar and two glasses of water in full view of the security cameras. The floor she was on was sparse of people. It looked as though it had been decorated in a more modern, homey style, but it was a private level and Avengers Tower wasn’t exactly an apartment complex. 

A  _ tap-tapping _ of footsteps echoed down the hall, accompanied by some murmuring, and

Sutton twisted around to see Jane Foster herself walking down towards her.

“If you’d let me hang up, Darcy, then I could grab my bag and actually make my plane. Yeah. Yeah. Ok! You too- er, I mean, I will. Goodbye!”

Sutton waved as Jane slid her phone into her pocket; Jane was obviously just noticing her. 

“Oh, Sutton! Hey! I didn’t know you were on this floor.”

Sutton nodded and fiddled with the high collar of the shirt she was now wearing. 

“To be fair, I don't exactly know what floor I'm on to being with.”

“I'm thinking this is Tony's guest floor,” Jane said with a smile. “It's good to see you're up and feeling better.” 

“Thanks to you. Tony said rescuing me wouldn't have been possible without that data you sent back from Asgard.”

Jane’s brows furrowed and she frowned, but Sutton didn't understand the expression.

“Right,” said Jane. “The data I sent back. I need to find that actually.” 

She began muttering under her breath about data and stones, and Sutton twisted the fingers on her left hand awkwardly. 

“Uh, so, how is… Thor?”

Jane snapped out of her mental notes at the name.

“Thor? Oh, he's great. Really good, yeah. He listened to your warning. It really helped, I think.” 

Sutton sighed, feeling like some part of her had weight lifted off it. 

“It did? Oh, I'm so glad. I didn't know if I should interfere, you know, but I figured I had to try. And then of course Loki heard me warn Thor too, and I was so scared he'd use it somehow. But if he's in jail and Asgard is safe, that's all I could've hoped for. Man, that’s just, really good to hear.” 

Really, her chest didn't feel so much pressure now. There was a happy thrill through her stomach. Jane shifted awkwardly and gnawed on her bottom lip.

“Asgard is safe, yeah. But, um, Loki is actually, well, you don't have to worry about him. He-he died.” 

Sutton's stomach dropped out and she felt suddenly cold.

“What?” 

“He was protecting his dad and brother.” Jane tried to console. “So I guess maybe some part of him felt bad for what he did. I feel more bad for Thor and his family though, you know? They were pretty devastated. Even Odin.”

Her knees quivered, the right one shooting pain up through her leg again, and Sutton slid to the floor, her back to the wall. Jane jerked forward as if to catch her falling. 

“Whoa! Hey, are you ok? Maybe you shouldn’t be up.”

Jane was valiantly trying to help Sutton onto her feet, but she was just as small as the huddled girl before her.

“Me,” Sutton was mumbling almost silently. “I did it? Did I do that too?” She was trembling as Jane continued to try and pull her up.

“What? I didn't catch that. I just- how bout I get Tony? Hey, Jarvis?”

“No,” Sutton snapped a little louder. “No I'm fine. G-give me a second to catch my breath. I just-”

She breathed in through her nose deeply and tried to let the air back out silently. After a moment she took Jane’s hand and got to her feet. The hollow feeling was back and it knew to eat right around where her dead heart was. 

“I'll let you get back to your packing,” Sutton said. Jane looked concerned at the warble in her voice, but one look at the time on her phone snuffed out any protest. 

“Are you sure you're ok? Maybe you should at least find a place to sit for a bit.” 

“I think I will. Thank you, for everything.” 

Jane squeezed her shoulder.

“Good luck.”

 

She still felt numb and confused as she staggered out into a living room type space. Sutton sank onto a plush couch and tried to calm herself. The doctor had told her not to do anything that would have gotten her heart rate up before. The arc reactor was still settling in and, while it would eventually regulate spikes in activity, right now they just wanted it to function at a consistent pace.

The anxiety running through her right now was testing doctor’s orders. 

Dead? Dead. He was dead. 

 

Perhaps she should have felt relieved. He had threatened to use her for his own means. He was practically single-handedly responsible for why she’d had to leave her entire life behind in the first place. Not to mention all he’d done to New York. But she only felt horribly responsible. Any outside action she made, any tidbit of information she shared could obviously be devastating. 

Loki might have destroyed a few city blocks, but she could destroy worlds. And she might be the reason he was dead now. She may not have liked him anymore, but she hadn’t wanted him dead. 

Her stomach rolled. Coming back was supposed to have made her feel better. 

 

[][][]

 

Two days of nothing and she was already restless. There were people in the building, sure, but they had their own schedules to keep as well. And with her injuries still healing she wasn’t supposed to be up and about constantly. Not to mention that hanging out with people for too long inevitably led to questions. 

_ “Aren’t you hungry, Sutton?” _

_ “How are you feeling today, Sutton?” _

_ “You’re being quiet, is everything ok, Sutton?” _

 

Too much and she might lose it and snap again. There was too much she hadn’t said and everyday she kept it locked up felt like adding to a lie. 

There were Avengers visiting again, she knew. They were somewhere in the city or the Tower while they had some free time, but Sutton hadn’t seen them. Instead she stayed on her floor and finally picked up that bundle of yarn and pair of needles Natasha had given her. 

 

The yarn was a speckled blue, bulky, and easy to grip even with her injured right hand, but still Sutton struggled with slipping the needle through the loops and tightening it just right. Some of the loops kept falling off one needle and unraveling, and though she did the best she could to fix it, the beginning of her first scarf still resembled a knotted mess. She grumbled under her breath as she pushed onward. How could Natasha ever find such a task relaxing? If anything it was just raising her blood pressure. The scarf looked nothing at all like the picture on the pattern in front of her. 

“Simple scarf,” she muttered. “For beginners. Stupid.”   
  


The living room on her floor was quiet, which is what she had wanted when scoping out a spot to try this blasted craft. Cool light spilled through the tall Avengers Tower windows and she’d felt picturesque sitting on the plush couch in front of them with her knitting supplies and a cup of coffee. But that had gone out the window as she began the struggle with string and sticks. 

A  _ click-clack _ sounded through the room a while later that was most definitely not her needles and Sutton looked up from the tangled lump on her lap. She must have been thinking too loudly because Natasha was approaching her with a poorly concealed smile on her face. Sutton’s lips pressed together as she tried to push the scarf out of direct view.

“Don’t laugh,” she said. “I know it sucks.”

Natasha shrugged and then sat on the couch next to her. Sutton briefly wondered why the woman was up here. Surely she had her own floor? Had Natasha actually been looking for her? She kept quiet as Natasha took the project from her lap and studied it.

“You just started; no one is expecting you to be good.” She pointed to a few stitches on the needle that twisted the opposite direction from the others. “You knitted backwards here, out of the wrong side of the loop, that’s why they look wrong. And you haven’t quite figured out the right amount of tension,” she noted, gesturing to one side of the scarf that caved tightly inwards. “But that sort of thing comes with practice.” 

Sutton sighed and rubbed at her collarbone. 

“Yeah; right. Just say it, it’s a huge mess.”

Natasha laughed lightly.

“Oh, yeah, it obviously is. You’re going to have to unravel all of it and start again.”   
  


Sutton's eyes flashed as she snatched the mottled scarf back. 

“What? No! I've already been working on this for, like, two hours. I can't undo it now.”

Natasha dipped her head as she glanced from the bright blue atrocity and back at Sutton. 

“Sometimes you have to go back in order to make real progress,” she said. “Would you use the scarf when it’s done if it looks like this?”

“Well, no.”

It was lumpy and uneven and tilted to one side. It would most likely end up in a box or in the trash. 

“Then you have to undo it and try again.”

The idea of tearing the entire scarf apart had her fingertips itching and teeth clamped. It was stupid, because it was just yarn and she wasn’t super invested in it anyway, but she still couldn’t stand the idea. She’d come so far and she’d failed at yet another thing. This was supposed to be easy. Natasha did it to  _ relax _ . 

“Can’t I fix it somehow after it’s done?”  
“Nope.” 

  
Sutton chucked the wad of yarn and needles onto the floor with an agonized groan as she rubbed the butt of her palms against her eyes. A shot of pain ran up her ribs and reminded her that they were still healing. She felt when Natasha sat the knotted yarn back in her lap. 

“How do you do this for fun,” she muttered. She kept her hands tightly over her eyes. 

“It’s not always fun, especially not when you mess up. But in the end, you usually have something pretty for all your hard work.” 

 

Sutton didn’t know if she thought it was quite worth it at this point. 

 

Natasha nudged her in the shoulder and gestured down. 

“Go on, rip it apart and I’ll teach you how to do it the right way.” 

Sutton wavered. Her fingers trailed loosely over the tail end of yarn. 

“What if it’s not any better after I do all this work? What if it’s still a mess.”

“It won’t be.”   
She rolled her eyes and pulled her hair over one shoulder distractedly. 

“How do you know that?”  
“Because you have people here to help you.”

 

Sutton bit down on her tongue as her fingers tightened around the string. Natasha gazed down at her with a patient, expectant face and after a moment of thought, Sutton pulled the needles out of all the knitted loops. 


	32. Dreams and Deals

" _You have to eat it."_

" _I don't want to."  
_ " _Just eat it!"_  
Tony was pushing a plate piled high with various foods at her from across the table and Sutton wanted nothing to do with it. 

" _It's too much!"  
The food was piled so high it was almost toppling over. It looked like he'd packed an entire Thanksgiving feast onto one plate._

_Broccoli on the plate quivered and rose up to resemble miniature trees, potatoes darkened into earth, and Sutton watched as the plate floated, churning until it resembled a planet hovering over the table between them._

" _I told you it was too much."_

_Tony huffed.  
It was fine until the small planet sparked and shot up into flame. Sutton flew backwards out of her chair in shock. _

" _No, no, no! Get water, I have to-"_

_But it was already a black, charred orb. Sutton was alone as she watched it crumble into ash and fall into a pit that had opened in the floor._

" _You think that you are safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie you tell to protect yourself."_

_A voice echoed down from the heavens. The lights went dim and Sutton gasped for air that would not come. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a shadow looming behind her._

" _He's gone," she said to herself. "He's gone, he's gone, he's gone."_

_Pressure built up at her back, like the static before a lightning strike. It kept charging and charging until she couldn't take it anymore and she bolted. She ran as fast as she could, but her legs were still lead. It took her far too long to make it out of the kitchen, and then she was finally able to speed up. Room after room passed in a blur, and she went through door after door, rooms bleeding into one another until she opened one door and fell into darkness._

_Sutton screamed as she fell into space. Purples and blues swirled around her and blinking whites and yellows dashed by. She clawed frantically above her, trying to swim up, but was continuously pulled down and down._

" _Do you believe yourself safe here?"_

" _No! You can't reach me!"_

" _I can reach everyone else."  
She saw the Enterprise drawn in dying stars and screeched. Rage burned out most of her fear and she finally swiveled around. _

_Dark, slicked back hair. Sharp pale face. Blue, blue eyes. Horrid smile._

_Her eyes were hot and she brought her fist down._

" _No!"  
He caught her fist with a tight grip and began to laugh. It wasn't the right laugh. Khan didn't laugh. _

_His face was beginning to twist, to change, and she shrieked again while desperately trying to pull away. She was still in the dark, but now the darkness had a floor. Still, her feet could find no purchase and she backpedaled helplessly._

" _It is good to see you safely back in this realm."_

_Her heart clenched painfully._

" _You're dead!"  
Sutton had the sudden realization that she was dreaming as she stared up into the face of Loki himself. She broke her hand out of his hold and backed away from him, glancing around; but there was nowhere to go. _

" _You're dead," she said again, "because I keep messing up."_

" _You certainly appear to be haunted by something," Loki noted. "Although I can't say I expected my death to be included."_

" _I never wanted to hurt anybody," Sutton snapped back. "I just wanted to go home."_

_Loki hummed to himself. He reached forward to tap her on the sternum and Sutton felt a sudden weight in her chest. When she looked down the arc reactor was there._

" _Still getting used to it, hm? You are home."_

_Sutton clutched at the reactor, feeling the slight warmth beneath her fingers._

" _I know," she croaked. "I know I am."_

_Loki gracefully folded his hands behind his back and leaned forward the slightest bit._

" _And do you know what that device means? Since it convinces your body that you're home and is keeping you here? It means that you're now susceptible to whatever this universe has to offer. Whatever powers or technologies or magic that may be."_

_Sutton frowned and Loki grinned in sinful delight. Ice shot up her spine._

" _You're-!"_

**[][][][][]**

Sutton woke with a start, feeling the clamminess of a stressful dream, but not remembering what had caused it. She took a few deep breaths to settle herself and slowly sat up in bed. Her head felt fuzzy and her eyes heavy, so she sat and waited until her body had caught up to her waking mind. The clock next to her bed read 4:30am, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

She groaned at all the hours she was losing as she shuffled across the floor on her way to grab a hoodie. The floor was cool on her bare feet as she padded into the guest kitchen. She pulled a mug out of the cabinet and filled a kettle of water and set it to boil. With only a glance at the different boxes of tea available, she grabbed the closest one, peppermint, and dropped one of the satchels in her mug. As much as she loved coffee, the idea of the bitter acid rolling around her stomach this early didn't appeal to her. She felt oddly queasy enough as it was.

Sutton wondered what she'd dreamt about this time while she waited for the water to

boil. It was probably a blessing that she couldn't remember. Usually the images were still fresh when she woke and she wished that they weren't. As the water heated up she sat at the counter in a mostly comatose daze. Her eyes burned, but she still couldn't fall back asleep. Even if she could quiet her mind, she didn't want a repeat of whatever had woken her in the first place.

The kettle began to whistle, and Sutton shook herself loose and stood to remove it from the stovetop. She carelessly dumped a spoonful of sugar into the mug, gave it a swirl, then sat back down.

She took a sip after letting it cool a moment and grimaced. Probably a bit too much sugar; she could see some undissolved granules floating around the bottom of the mug. She sipped at the tea anyway, because it was warm and she was feeling chilled for some reason. She snorted into her mug.

_Hm, have you ever wondered if you have poor circulation problems?_

The joke made her giggle, then laugh so hard that she had to put her mug down for fear of spilling it. Her eyes burned and watered before she had calmed herself down enough to pick the mug back up.

The clock on the microwave had only just reached 5:00am. Sutton groaned as she was reminded of the long day that awaited her.

After she shot back the rest of her tea, Sutton went back to her room to shower and dress for the day. Really, there wasn't much else for her to do at this point. After that she reluctantly picked up her in-progress scarf again and added a few rows. It did look a lot better than when she'd started it on her own, and Natasha was actually a good teacher, but she wasn't about to inflate the woman's head too much. She was still only about one fourth of the way done with the thing. There was still plenty of time to mess up again.

When she felt it was a less concerning time for her to be awake she put her knitting away and headed for the elevators. Everyone usually used the kitchen on the lab floor, just because it was easier to locate Tony there and a bit more accessible. Sutton wanted to see if anyone had made extra breakfast that she could scavenge some pickings from.

The smell of pancakes and bacon grew as she exited the elevator and shuffled down the hall towards the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled a little and she stifled the sound before walking through the doorway. Whatever quiet conversation had been going on hushed momentarily as her presence was made known. Sutton chewed on the inside of her cheek and then nodded at the morning crowd. Tony was leaning against the cupboard with a cup of coffee and talking to Steve who was just rinsing off a plate. Sutton squeezed by Natasha sitting at the bar and grabbed a small plate of her own.

"Morning." She cleared her throat after hearing how unused her voice sounded and reached for the serving spoon in the egg bowl.

"Coffee," asked Tony, while lifting up his own mug. Sutton nodded.

"Yes please."

She moved down the table and tossed a few grapes alongside the eggs before sitting down a stool away from Natasha. She saw Natasha side-eye her plate, but pretended not to as she popped a grape in her mouth. The flavor fell flat on her tongue. Tony placed a mug in front of her along with a bit of cream and sugar.

"Thank you." She paused to fix her coffee. "So, uh, what's going on today? Usually it's a bit more quiet in the mornings."

Her eyes flickered over to Steve. Was he still wearing sweats? Oh, he'd probably been running, his hair looked a little mussed.

"We do get some days off, you know," Natasha said. "Not all of us are superhuman."

"Fair enough."

Sutton moved some of the eggs around her plate without eating them; she took a sip of her coffee instead.

"Are you feeling well enough to go out?"

Steve's question almost shocked her. She hadn't been out of the Tower since she was released from the hospital, and she'd been so caught up in her own musings that she hadn't really considered leaving.

"I think so."

She eyed him and the others warily, as if they might be up to something, before taking a small bite of the scrambled eggs. They tasted bland and sank to the bottom of her stomach. She shoveled another bite in and swallowed without chewing much while everyone was watching.

"Do you guys have plans or something?"  
Sutton saw the look that Steve spared her plate and tried not react.

"What," she prodded. "Going to get some ice cream? Walk in the park?"  
It distracted Steve enough and she shifted the eggs around her plate while he wasn't looking.

"Something like that," he said. "We thought it'd be good for us all to get out."

"Sure; fresh air sounds good."

She took another gulp of coffee and waited a minute or two before she eased out of the bar stool, trying to subtly bring her plate over to the sink where she knew there was a garbage disposal.

"Hold it, Small Fry. You're not that covert. Sit down and finish that plate."

Sutton flinched with her plate in her hands and turned slightly to eye Tony over her shoulder. More awkward was that everyone's attention was on her. Technically she hadn't done anything wrong, her eating habits were her own, but Tony's expression sure did a good job of making her feel like she'd messed up.

"I'm not hungry anymore," she argued. "And I don't think I exactly have to get anyone's approv-"

"Doctor's orders," Tony interrupted. "You have to stay healthy for the implant to heal optimally. You know, you're actually do for a checkup soon. Maybe instead-"

"Fine."

She quickly scraped the rest of the eggs into her mouth, swallowing them down despite the queasiness that rose up at the action. When Tony's expression didn't waver she finished off the grapes too.

"Happy now?"  
"Not really, but it's a start."

Sutton rolled her eyes and rinsed off her plate, trying to make light of the situation and stop her face from heating up under all the scrutiny.

She sat back down next to Natasha as Tony excused himself to talk over plans with Pepper and Steve left for a quick shower. Sutton continued to sip at her cup of coffee. Had she actually added any creamer? It still tasted bitter. Natasha brushed some hair behind her ear and ran an assessing gaze over her. Sutton hunched in her chair and held her mug close.

"So, how's the scarf going?"

"Hm? Oh, it's, uh, going. I'm working on it."

Natasha hummed in acknowledgement and sipped at her drink thoughtfully.

"You know, there was a time," she said, "before I joined SHIELD that I had a string of successful missions. One-" Natasha paused, then shook her head. "They teach you not to feel in the Red Room. It makes everything easier. But still, after one mission, everything I ate tasted burnt."

Sutton remained quiet as she mulled over her words. Her finger rubbed against the lip of the mug as she thought.

"What'd you do?"

Natasha smiled in a sharp, humorless sort of way. Sutton found she actually understood the expression.

"I ate enough to survive," Natasha said pointedly. "And, eventually, I learned how to put it

behind me."

Sutton sighed a bit dejectedly and took another sip of coffee. Her stomach still felt

unsettled from the eggs and grapes. It was stupid and sad, but she couldn't quite change it.

"I am trying," she insisted. "It just- I always feel sick. I'd rather keep it down, you know?"

"How often do the nightmares wake you up?"  
Sutton stiffened, her fingers clenching around the ceramic mug as her eyes darted over to Natasha. There wasn't any judgement simmering behind her look. Instead her expression was even and her tone straightforward.

"Makeup can only hide so much," Natasha said by way of explanation. "And you zone out a lot. It doesn't take much work to put the pieces together."

Sutton huffed and remained quiet until it was clear that Natasha wasn't going to accept that as a legitimate response.

"Enough," she answered evasively. "The, uh, the others don't notice, right?"

Natasha gave her a look that said, " _please. What do you think?"_

"I'm sure Tony gets nightly reports from Jarvis."

Sutton's eyes stretched wide and then quickly narrowed as she shot a glare up at the ceiling.

"You better not, Jarvis. I thought we were in this together."

Jarvis' voice actually responded from the built in speakers around them.

_[I'd rather remain out of this conversation, if it's all the same to you.]_

Sutton took that as an admission of guilt.

With a downward pull of her lips she dismissed Jarvis and cut her eyes back to Natasha who was smiling faintly.

"Just, don't say anything to Steve, ok? It's really not that bad, and I don't use concealer for nothing, and he already saw the food thing."

She could feel her face heating up slightly at the recent memory.

"Why not Steve," Natasha asked. Her tone was casual, but Sutton still didn't like it. She took another gulp of hot coffee to stave off answering.

"Do you think he'll judge you? There's nothing shameful about recovery you know."

"I know," Sutton snapped. "I just don't-" She didn't want to say exactly how she really felt, because she knew it'd sound stupid if said aloud and Natasha would give her a disparaging look. But she didn't want people to know how weak she really was, or the shame of what had happened to her. Or that it was obviously affecting her so much.

"Just let him stay in the dark on as much of this as possible."

"He already knows more than I think you assume he does. Steve isn't oblivious. But I'll keep this conversation private if it makes you feel better."

Sutton nodded and let her shoulders relax as she sank into her stool.

Perhaps she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. Tony knew more than she'd probably like, true, but it was different with him. He'd already seen her breakdown at the hospital and most likely did monitor her movements in his tower. The jerk.

But the more people who knew or suspected, the more what happened to her felt like a dirty secret. She just wanted to erase the experience and move on with her life like normal. Not that she really knew what normal was anymore.

When the others had finished getting ready for the day, they all headed out of the tower. Tony showed up with Pepper who was actually taking time out of her schedule to join them.

They skipped the parking garage and instead walked down the city sidewalk. Sutton noticed that everyone's pace was slower to accommodate her, but she didn't bring it up. A small smile flickered over her face as she continued to focus on taking even breaths.

The air was bitterly cold and Sutton was glad she wore her puffy coat even though she'd been tempted to skip it just to mess with an insistent Tony. It wasn't worth being that miserably frozen though, and he was already stressed enough on a daily basis as it was.

Pepper and Tony held hands as they walked and Sutton shuffled along next to Steve and Natasha. The city streets were loud and while Sutton hadn't exactly missed the sounds of traffic, it was a welcome change from the stifling silence she'd been in before. Sutton tried to maintain her breathing while walking and speaking at the same time as Steve chatted about modern culture and media that he was catching up on. His liveliness over the subject was cute, he wasn't in Captain America mode and his eyes lit up with a sort of excitement and mischievousness that was contagious. But her eyes were continuously burning and if she stared at one point for too long her mind went blank.

He eased Sutton out of the way of an oncoming businessman with a hand on her shoulder as he rolled his eyes.

"So then Natasha explained to me in _great_ detail that Star Wars and Star Trek were different things."

"It's an important distinction," Natasha defended.

Sutton flinched slightly and, as Steve's hand hadn't quite left her shoulder yet, tried to pass it off as a shiver from the wind.

"Yeah," she agreed. Her eyes darted around the street as her skin started to clam. "Uh, um, have you seen, uh, Jurassic Park? I mean, gotta do the classics first, right?"  
"Jurassic Park came out in the '90s," Natasha noted dryly. "Star Wars and Trek came out in the '60s and '70s; I think they're a bit more classic."

"I'm just making suggestions," Sutton said. She swallowed and told herself to calm down. The streets were dirty, nothing was hovering, and she saw a person exchanging cash for a postcard. There was nothing to worry about.

Steve was still touching her. Why was he still touching her? She couldn't think of a way to shake him off without alerting them that she was being irrational. Well, nothing subtle.

With a loud sigh, Sutton came to a stop, Steve continuing on a few steps before he realized she'd stopped walking. She held up a finger and grit her teeth in the semblance of a smile.

"Just gotta catch my breath for a second," she said.

The statement did just what she was afraid it would do and drew Tony back over with hurried footsteps.

"Hey." He pushed passed Steve and moved Sutton over out of the main traffic of the sidewalk. "Are you doing ok? How's your heart rate?"

He pressed two fingers into her wrist to take her pulse and Sutton sighed with a roll of her eyes as she allowed him to do it.

"Tony, I'm-"  
He held up a finger as he eyed his watch. She could see him mouthing the seconds as he counted before he finally let her go.

"Ok, well, it's not at too high of an elevation yet, but you should still take it easy, kid. We can turn around and-"

"Tony, I'm fine!"

She gripped his hand and forced him to look at her to ensure he was actually listening.

"I just needed a quick breath, ok? I want to keep going. I've been in the Tower for a week straight; the air is nice."  
He stared into eyes as if to ferret out any untruths, but nodded in the end.

"Alright," he finally said. "If you're sure you're ok. But we're taking it slow."

Again, arguing with him wouldn't be worth the time, so she nodded and squeezed his hand affectionately before moving again. She hoped the heart-implant-thing excuse worked. But she still didn't dare look at Natasha; just in case.

There were a few stops on their walk because passerby recognized the Avengers and the team was kind enough to take pictures with a few children. Sutton was more than content to wait as the others humored some fans. She watched the explosive smiles on children's faces as they greeted actual superheroes. A little girl told Tony that he should make his suit glow in the dark, like her shoes, so he could fight bad guys at night. A few preteens giggled nervously as they got a picture with Steve and Natasha.

At one point she was one of those giggling preteens. Now she got to talk to The Avengers on a regular basis. Sutton ran a hand through her hair as she was reminded of just how much her life was different now.

Soon enough they came to a small park and meandered around the grounds. Trees lined the park in a protective wall and the gray sky hung lowly down over their heads. Sutton was sure that if it wasn't going to snow it was at least going to rain soon.

It was perfect.

They all sat at an open table and talked despite the colder temperature. Sutton huddled down inside her coat and let the cold wind bite at her cheeks. The arc reactor in her chest actually produced a small amount of heat and she was pleased to find that the warmth built up thanks to the insulation in her coat.

Why did that remind her of something?

She tapped at the reactor lightly through the fabric as she tried to think. But as familiar as the gesture felt, she couldn't quite place it. With a shake of her head she dismissed the feeling and forced herself to return to the conversation at hand.

"And it tasted good too," Pepper was saying. "Don't listen to Tony; he eats like a lethargic college student."  
Tony huffed indignantly.

"It was vegan," he complained. "Vegans just get rid of all the good stuff."

"It. Was. Good."

Pepper poked him in the shoulder with each word and Tony put on an affronted face.

"Fine, you dictator! Sheesh!" He rubbed at the spot on his shoulder with a pout. "Stay single," he muttered under his breath.

Sutton giggled quietly.

"I'll tell my long list of suitors that they're out of luck," she said to Tony dryly. "You can tell SHIELD that too," she directed at Natasha, "if they're still thinking about playing matchmaker."

"I think SHIELD got the hint," Natasha replied. "And Axel was reassigned to… well, somewhere else."

Looking over to Steve and lifting her brows Sutton and he both spoke drolly at the same time.

" _Classified."_

She chuckled at the grin on Steve's face and wiped at her nose. Truthfully, she was freezing. Curling her fingers open and closed inside her coat sleeve, she glanced around the table.

"Does anyone else feel like their fingers and toes are about to fall off?"  
Tony's gaze snapped to her and then down to her hands. Only the tips of her fingers were poking out of her sleeves, but they were still tinted slightly blue.

"The reactor hasn't learned how to react to weather changes yet," he said. "Start rubbing your hands together, and come on. We should head back inside anyway."

It was clear he wasn't joking, or going to allow for dallying, so they all stood while shooting each other matching looks over Tony's behavior. Natasha smirked at Sutton from around Steve's shoulder.

" _Mother hen,"_ she mouthed silently. Sutton huffed, but smiled into the neck of her jacket.

The walk had done her some good; the Tower felt fresh again and Sutton didn't feel quite as heavy or clammy as she had that morning. But Tony didn't let her disappear back to her room straight away. He dragged her into his lab and demanded that she let him run some diagnostics on the reactor before doing anything else. When it was clear he wasn't taking no for an answer, no doubt thanks to her still blue fingers, she begrudgingly peeled off clothing layers until she was down to her camisole and the implant was easy to access.

Sutton watched as he attached wires to either end that connected to a reader in his hand.

"Jarvis, how's her molecular stability?"

_[Molecular structure is stable, sir. Miss Regan won't be leaving this universe anytime soon.]_

Sutton and Tony both breathed a private sigh of relief despite expecting that answer.

"Good," Tony said as he continued to study the reader. "Run diagnostics on the reactor's activity for the last two hours. I don't think that it's responding to outside temporal changes."

She kicked her legs idly against the table she was perched on while Tony finished up his scans.

"You look tired," she eventually said. Her tone was gentle and hedged with concern. "Are you doing… ok?"

Tony snorted air through his nose.

"I could ask you the same thing, Small Fry. Seems like you haven't had a full night's sleep since you got back."

Sutton's gaze flickered down as she broke eye contact and skewed her lips in a frown.

"I asked first," she muttered.

Tony shifted in front of her, putting down the reader and disconnecting the wires from her reactor.

"Still having nightmares?"  
He was looking right at her with an expression that told her he already knew the answer and any attempts to lie would just look pathetic.

"I don't remember last night's," she admitted. Tony sat one hand on his hip and ran the other through his hair with a sigh.

They were both shifting, uneasy. Both unsure about just how to talk about feelings. Sutton knew they could both shut down each other's arguments with only a raised eyebrow and a quip of " _the pot calling the kettle black"_. She bit down on her lower lip in indecision before pushing herself off the table.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

Sutton shot him a look and then glanced at the lab door. For once, no one seemed to be loitering right outside the doors.

"I just need more time." She gestured emptily while looking for the right words.

 _Words, words, words._ It was always coming down to words. Say the right words, don't say the wrong ones, string them together just right; try not to let anything slip.

She was tempted just to sign at Tony. Just let her story pour out into her arms and fingers and gesture and turn her wrists until it was drained out of her while Tony was none the wiser. But with her luck, Jarvis would just translate everything. Turn it back into words.

"It's been weeks, right?" Tony plowed on. "Those injuries are weeks old. Don't you trust us? Me? I mean, kid, you _know_ my story."

"It's not the same," she bit out. "It- yours- It wasn't your fault."

Tony's expression flickered, his brows dropping and mouth hardening into a thin line.

"Don't make excuses for me, kid," he said lowly. "Negligence isn't innocence. If I'd been paying more attention to my own company, I might've noticed things weren't right sooner. You have to stop putting us all on pedestals; you're not doing anyone any favors."

Sutton hiccupped and rubbed aggressively at her left eye, her right arm wrapped around her ribcage. There was only one obvious escape route, but that was the problem: it was obvious. And not that Tony would necessary lock her in the lab until she confessed, but she lived in his building. It was harder to avoid him that way.

"You're not a person who can just shove it in a dark corner of your mind and be done with it, Sutton. Everyone in the tower can see it's eating you up. What're you afraid will happen? No one's kicking you out."

Irritation flashed through her again. She had no right to the emotion, but it bubbled up nonetheless. She pressed against her ribs until the sharp pains reminded her to stop.

"I don't want to hurt anyone else," she choked out. "I don't- I don't even know what I did."

Tony moved a few steps closer, but gave her enough room to think. She chewed on her lip and tried to decide on which words were safe to use.

"What if I say it out loud and it becomes more real? What if I think too hard and it makes things worse? I should have listened, but I just wanted to come back _so bad._ I didn't care, Tony. I knew bad things could happen and I still kept going and then- and then they did get worse."

He was raising a hand to comfort her when she turned around and snapped at him.

"So you can't feel bad for me! Everything that happened was my fault and I can't even go back and fix it. I don't deserve to feel bett-"

Tony cut her off by forcing her into an abrupt hug. Sutton stiffened momentarily, her

breath hitching, before she slowly melted into the embrace and held onto the back of Tony's shirt. He smelled faintly like mechanical grease and aftershave.

"None of what you were about to say is true," he said. "There's only room for one emotionally stunted person in this tower."

Sutton's snort turned into another hiccup. She continued to cling to Tony as he stroked her hair like he had in the hospital.

"No one's going to think differently of you, no matter what. You know that, right?"

Sutton just breathed for a minute.

"I guess."  
Tony pulled back and pegged her with a mock reproachful glare.

"You guess? Is that all the credit we get?"  
He squeezed her shoulders gently at her lingering sad smirk and sighed. After a brief hesitation, he continued on.

"How about this? We'll make a deal. You talk to me, or someone in the Tower, or a

professional, and... I'll talk to someone too."

Her gaze popped back up and Tony rolled his eyes.

"You're such a sucker for trying to help people."

Sutton shot him a glare but mulled over his proposition. There was ice crystallizing in her stomach, but she had noticed the bags under Tony's eyes that hadn't gone away. She knew there had been no self-discovery or lesson learned in dealing with Aldrich Killian.

She wondered if he still saw the void of space when he closed his eyes too.

Was she really considering this?

Her skin was feeling clammy again just at the idea. It was a little hard to breath, but she tried to calm herself down so the reactor didn't strain what was left of her heart, or whatever.

"Would you really do it?"

She saw his wince, but he nodded regardless.

"Cross my heart. We'll start a club."

Her hands were starting to shake, so she clasped them together as she continued to stall. Tony stayed quiet and let her mull over her decision. Every nerve in her body felt on edge and a panicked voice in her head was telling her to just run back to her room and forget about even thinking about this. But another voice popped up, probably prompted by Tony's offer.

Perhaps, maybe, she could find ways to atone.

She trembled as she licked her dry lips.

"I-I- ...ok. Ok. Deal. But, please, I just- really don't want to have to say it twice."

Tony cocked his head to the side as his face creased in confusion, and Sutton nodded at the lab door.

"I never saw anyone pass the lab door," she said. "I really, really don't want to have to repeat anything because they can't hear from so far away."


	33. Confessions and Ice Cream

Sutton licked her bottom lip nervously as she settled on the couch. Tony had led her out of the lab into a sitting room, and she’d followed on shaking legs. As she’d suspected the other’s had been causally loitering just before the lab doors and at least had the decency to look sheepish as Tony gestured for them to follow. 

Now they were all seated in the lounge off the lab and Sutton was starting to feel the beginnings of regret. A small relief was that they at least weren’t all lined up in front of her like this was an interrogation of sorts. Pepper and Tony sat on the couch with her, Pepper gripping Tony’s hand, and Natasha and Steve sat in adjacent overstuffed chairs. Sutton curled up her legs underneath her and clenched her teeth behind her lips. They waited. 

How did one even start explaining what she’d gone through? Her lips felt sealed together as her stomach churned again. She regretted even eating the eggs that morning. There was still time for her to back out, to backpedal and run and keep the truth all locked up for a time longer. She knew she could run out now and there’d be little they could do to stop her. They would probably even let her go. But what if she did that? What then? 

_ She’d still be selfish. A coward. A liar, _ her mind supplied. 

 

Nothing would change. And Tony had a point, although she hated it. She wasn’t able to shove what had happened aside and ignore it. The truth of what happened was corroding her from the inside. It followed her like a shadow and chewed on her bones like rust on iron. 

Sutton took a deep breath and let it shuddering out. She almost wished there was some sort of background music or television on. But that was just another distraction. 

“I lied,” she finally said. “Or, rather, I didn't tell you everything. But you probably already knew- anyway. I, um, I ended up one other place.”

She took another deep, hitching breath and closed her eyes. 

“After I left the Doctor, I woke up in a hospital. There were these holo screens and glowing lights and for a second I thought maybe- maybe I was back. But I wasn't. I-it, I was in Star Trek, on earth.” She opened her eyes and forced out a dry laugh. “And it was great, because they don't use money, so I could eat whenever. But I-I made a really s-stupid mistake.” 

 

She saw his face in her mind and his name sat heavy on her tongue. At her hesitation, Tony reached over and squeezed her hand. Sutton shot him a dry smile before letting go and curling up a bit tighter on the couch. 

“I was walking down the street when I saw… saw...Khan. And I didn't even think! I was just so surprised and scared, I just blurted out his name. I didn't think he'd hear me from that far! I just didn't think.” 

The room was quiet as Sutton attempted to maintain her breathing at an even level and not start stammering. Steve leaned over closer to Natasha and mouthed, _ “who?” _

Natasha kept her voice low.

“Homicidal super soldier.”

Steve paled slightly and nodded sharply.

Sutton decided she didn’t need to get into details. A vague outline would be best, and would be faster. Given Tony’s clenched jaw and distant gaze, details wouldn’t help anyone. Least of all herself, if she were being honest. 

“He found out I was different. He knew that I knew things.” 

Her voice cracked a little on the last word and she cleared her throat. When she spoke again her voice had shrunk even smaller than it was before. 

“I didn’t want to tell him anything. Obviously. Y-you know; I didn’t even want to tell you guys anything. But, um. He- I, uh.  _ Augh.”  _ She paused. “He… made me.” 

Pepper made a distressed sound in the back of her throat and Tony clenched his eyes shut. Her nails were digging into her palms as she tried to blink her eyes dry. She couldn’t break down during this story. It had happened weeks ago anyway. Was it weeks? If felt like years ago and yesterday all at once. 

The room was too quiet. Sutton avoided eye contact with everyone, but she could still see the stiff way they sat in their chairs and the way Pepper rubbed Tony’s knuckles with her thumb. 

“I messed up,” she whispered. “I should’ve- I should’ve just let him-” 

She put her elbows on her knees and buried her head in her hands, letting her hair fall to hide her face. The true confession was pressing at the backs of her teeth. 

“It was me or an entire universe, and I- I ...picked  _ me. _ ”

Sutton lifted her head, true tears falling unstoppably now and felt heated shame rise into her face. Words bubbled up unbidden. 

“I tried to fix it! He knew too much, but no one would listen to me! I told them! I tried, but I’m not- not smart or strong like you guys, and- t-this imagination thing is tricky. I took out his guns, but… he got his crew. He got away. He was supposed to be caught. They were supposed to win. And now- now,” Sutton pressed the edge of her palm to the corner of her mouth as she worked to keep her voice even. “Now I don’t even know what’s happening. I changed everything.” 

Her eyes cut over to Tony. His face looked ashen. 

“I should have just went to prison. I should have just listened to the Doctor.” 

“But that’s not what happened,” Natasha cut in gently. “You can’t live your life on  _ “should have”s.  _ You’ll always be where you are now if you do that.”

Sutton’s gaze darted over to Natasha as her brow furrowed. How was she supposed to ever  _ not _ be  _ here _ ? There would never be closure for her. There’d never be an answer; she’d always wonder. And what was she supposed to do? Move on? Forget what she’d done to them? She was just as apt to do that as she was to move on from leaving her family behind without so much as a goodbye. 

“How-”   
Tony stood from the couch in one swift movement and marched from the room on stiff legs without a word. Something in her chest snapped and she choked back cry as she watched him walk away. 

_ You knew he’d hate you,  _ a voice in her head whispered.  _ You deserve this.  _

But, oh did it hurt. She had expected it from Steve, because Steve was so  _ good _ and he’d probably known men a hundred times more determined and upstanding in the war. But Tony… well, she’d just hoped that maybe he’d been telling the truth. That he wouldn’t leave. Her chest continued to ache and she bit harshly on her lower lip as she curled up further into the couch. Pepper quickly patted her leg before getting up. 

“It’s not you, Sutton,” she said. “Just give him a minute to work through this.” 

She got up and followed Tony’s path out of the room. All Sutton wanted to do now was crawl out of the room unnoticed and hide away for the rest of her life. She still wouldn’t look at Steve. If she avoided seeing his expression, it was like Pavlov's Cat. She could pretend. 

_ No, no, no. _ She couldn’t keep pretending! She couldn’t keep trying to shield herself with lies. Might as well face it quick. Like ripping a bandaid off in one pull. Sutton took another hitching breath and snapped her head up to face Natasha and Steve; her teeth clenched together to keep her chin from quivering. She blinked some more and wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. Both Natasha and Steve were staring at her, and it was difficult to make out the meaning of their expressions. She still didn’t know them quite well enough to be able to read them so easily. Perhaps contemplative. Maybe sad, or disappointed; she couldn’t tell the difference. 

“I’m not proud of what I did,” she said lowly. “I know what I should’ve done. But I can’t undo it.” 

Natasha stood and Sutton watched warily as the woman made her way to the couch and sat down next to her. Sutton stared up at Natasha; her eyes were still watery so Natasha looked a bit blurry around the edges, but she forced herself to look up at her face all the same. Natasha reached out slowly and held her face in her hand. 

“I can’t really say I’m one to talk about choosing the many over myself. And while I think it’s admirable that you’re taking responsibility for your actions, I think you do need to remember you were a victim too. You didn’t deserve what happened to you.”

 

Sutton’s face crumbled and she swayed forward into Natasha; the woman held her while she worked to control her breathing. It seemed the crying, at least, she had mostly under wraps.

Whatever little of her remaining dignity that spared her.

Natasha’s hand ran over Sutton’s curls and Sutton shuddered as she forced herself back up into a seated position. Her core was hollow and, while she felt a bit lighter with the truth out, she still felt like she’d have to scrape herself off the ground in order to leave. Steve cleared his throat and Sutton’s eyes were forcibly drawn towards him. His opinion shouldn’t matter so much, shouldn’t feel like it could break her, but she cared about him. And he was  _ Captain America _ . He’d always make the right decision, wouldn’t he? 

_ No, no; stop that. He’s human too. Don’t put him on a pedestal.  _

 

She couldn’t do that to him. She shouldn’t do that to any of the Avengers anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. He clenched his hands together before releasing them and pushing down on his knees. Sutton gnawed at the inside of her cheek as his brow furrowed. “But I’m glad you told us. No one should have to bear that alone.” 

Sutton forced out a light, amused huff and dabbed at her eyes. Steve shifted slightly in his seat. 

“But,” he continued, “maybe you could try having a little more faith in the people of that universe? You said your belief affects them, right? If you believe they can beat him, maybe they’ll have a better chance.” 

Sutton froze, her expression flickering between awe and weary realization.

“Of course,” she said, her voice edging towards a higher octave. “Obviously; yeah. Why didn't I think of that.”

She meant it too; a spike of self focused anger flared through her at how ridiculous and stupid she was being. She'd allowed herself to become so sleep deprived and frazzled that simple solutions were having to be handed to her. Sutton grit her teeth. 

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but she beat him to the punch. There was only so much humiliation she could take in one day. 

“I think I just need to get some actual sleep,” she said in a rush. “I think I'm going to take a nap. Um, thank you, for the advice. And for, uh, listening.” 

 

She ducked her head down and darted for the door as quickly as she was able. From the corner of her eye she saw Steve stand and Natasha put a hand on his shoulder. 

 

The hall was empty and silent save for the clipping of her shoes on the tile. She felt like she’d fished a splinter out from underneath her nail. Relieved that it was done, but ultimately still in pain. 

“Tony will-he’ll talk to someone now,” she reassured herself. “He’ll get better.” 

 

Even if he never spoke to her again. 

 

Sutton shook her head; he would. Pepper wouldn’t lie to her. Maybe he just needed some space to process everything. She needed some space now too. 

Her room was empty and silent when she finally reached it. She shut the door behind her and staggered over to the bed, flopping down onto her face and curling her knees up to her stomach. If she could only sleep, for just a few hours, without seeing flames, or his face, or planets imploding, maybe she could start recovering. 

Sutton said a quiet prayer for no nightmares as she clamped her eyes shut and gripped a pillow. 

 

[]

 

_ “I’m sorry,” Natasha said with a shake of her head. “But you’re not an Avenger. You never were.”  _

_ Sutton took an unsteady step backwards, trying not to let the sting the words gave her show on her face.  _

_ “I know,” she snapped in defense. “I know I messed up, but I tried-” _

_ “Did you,” Tony asked. He came around a desk and glared at her. “Because I lasted a lot longer in that cave without giving up any secrets.” _

_ Steve sighed off in the corner and Sutton dug her nails into her palm.  _

_ “Sorry, Sutton,” he said. “But none of us were ever friends. You don’t belong in the Tower.”  _

_ She felt bruised and beaten again, her knee throbbed.  _

_ “You wouldn’t-” The words were thick and got caught up around her tongue. “Steve would never say- No.” _

_ She squeezed her eyes shut then forced them back open. The people around her shimmered and disappeared; Sutton stiffened as she was enveloped in darkness again. She looked down at her hands and then around at the void, something tickling at the back of her mind until the knowledge came and grew into a sharp focus. With fists at her side she glared into the darkness.  _

_ “Where are you? I want you out of my head!” _ __   
  


_ Loki materialized before her, not quite smiling but still looking as smug as ever.  _

_ “You came to much quicker this time,” he said. “Congratulations.”  _

_ The sight of him was still shocking and unsettling in a deep way. There was more to this than just dream visits. She was lightyears behind him in terms of scheming and with no knowledge of the future anymore, she was more than aware of her stark disadvantage.  _

_ “You’re alive,” she said. “Everyone thinks you’re dead, but you can’t be. Why couldn’t I remember that when I woke up?” _ _   
_ _ Loki tsked.  _

_ “You’d tell on me, and then all the fun would be gone. I can’t have that.” _

_ “You can’t do that,” she accused. “That was never-” _

_ “Well you don’t quite know the extent of my magic, do you? Did you think your little movies were the law? Surely you should have realized how free our worlds are by now.” _

 

_ He was in her mind for a reason. Loki couldn’t be there just to goad her for nothing. It’d be a waste of his time and he didn’t seem the kind of person to do things idly.  _

_ “What do you want,” she asked. “You’re not just paying me a visit for old time’s sake. If you think I’m helping you after what I just went through, you’re a bigger-” _

_ “What if you could help this world?”  _ _   
_ _ Sutton’s tirade tittered to a halt and she eyed him warily. Not for one second did she think he was about to say anything truthful, but part of her was curious to see what he’d try to pull. _

_ “What?” _

_ “You seek atonement, do you not? That power you’ve been misusing could be wielded for good,” he said. For once his tone was level, no hints of mocking or cooing. Sutton shifted uncomfortably.  _

_ “I’m done interfering with worlds,” she said. “I’ve done enough of that for a lifetime.” _

_ “Even if it could mean saving the lives of your friends?” _

_ A chill swept through her mind and Sutton frowned. Something crawled up her spine and curled into her gut.  _

_ “What are you saying?” _

_ “Did you think you could traverse universes, meddle as you saw fit, and not draw attention to yourself? Did you really think yourself outside the reach of all other beings? No, you’ve drawn a target on your own head, Sutton Regan, and there will be those who come to collect.”  _

_ A terror she hadn’t felt since her run in with Khan seized her.  _

_ “You’re lying. You’re trying to scare me so I’ll do what you want, but it won’t work.”  _

_ Loki tilted his head to the side, eyes suddenly dark, and she felt like she was seeing him truthfully for the first time. There was a haggardness to his posture, a spark of fear in his eyes that she recognized only because she’d also lived it.  _

_ “You have drawn His attention,” he said lowly. “As surely as I breathe.”  _

_ The appropriate question clung to her tongue as she gaped. She didn’t want the answer. Behind Loki she saw a flickering purple light almost taking form before a canopy of stars. She shut her eyes tight.  _

_ “With your power you could save them all; make Him weak or like He never was.” _

_ “No, I can’t.” _

_ “He’ll kill them all and take you as a prize. He will use you to further His own means. It is a matter of survival if nothing else.” _

_ Sutton shook her head, forcing her eyes open and sighing in relief that the purple was gone. _

_ “No,” she said. “You’re lying. I never-” _

_ “The walls between universes are thin, thanks to you,” Loki snapped. “If I can sense it I promise you that He is more than aware. If you do nothing, then the blood of the worlds will be on your hands.”  _

_ Sutton gasped, sickness rose up her throat and she blinked back fresh tears.  _

_ “No! You just want me to help you. You’re just afraid for yourself!” _

_ “I’d be a fool not to try and use you against Him,” Loki agreed easily. “But that doesn’t take away from the truth of the matter. If you refuse to act, He will come, He will find you, and He will use you to tear every world apart until there is nothing left.” _

_ Sutton clutched at her head, fingers pressing into her temples as she clamped her eyes shut again.  _

_ “None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for you. Get out of my head! Get out!” _ __   
  


[]

 

Sutton snapped her eyes open again. Her vision was hazy for a moment before her room came back into focus and she sat up. Her stomach churned and she felt sick. Her pulse was still beating a mile a minute and she didn’t know why. With a groan, she raked her shaking hand through her tangled curls and pushed herself off the mattress. 

There had to be a way to get these dreams to stop, even if she’d started forgetting them. For a moment she simply stood still, letting the waves of anxiousness and fear pass before she attempted to do anything else. She still wasn’t sure if it was worse to remember the dreams or not, at least when she remembered her feelings made sense and had a source she could point back too. 

The clock on her nightstand informed her that she’d only napped for about two hours, and she hoped it was enough to help. 

 

With nothing better to do, she meandered down to the kitchen she saw as her own. It was empty, per usual. Sutton sifted through the food in the fridge, but couldn’t quite find anything to her liking. Her stomach felt hollow and queasy, and she just wished she could eat already. 

_ [Miss Regan,]  _ Jarvis said, his voice echoing in the silence.  _ [Mr. Stark wanted you informed when you woke that he is in the common area kitchen. You may join him there if you’re feeling well.] _

Sutton glanced up at the ceiling, she never did know exactly where to look when addressing the AI. 

“Thanks, Jarvis. I, um, I guess I’ll head down.”

_ [I’ll let him know.] _

 

A sigh escaped her as she fixed her hair and made her way to the elevator. Two hours had been enough time for Tony to calm down, apparently. Her body still felt weak and flushed from the day and her forgotten dream, and she hoped that if Tony wanted to scold her for betraying Star Fleet, he’d save it for the next day. A numbness took the place of all her nerves. Her body just couldn’t handle any more anxiety. The whole truth was out now, she had no more secrets. Whatever happened, happened, she supposed. She couldn’t control how they felt about her. She couldn’t control anything anymore. Not that she ever really had.

Tony was waiting at the island bar when she got to the lab floor. There was an array of sweets set out in front of him, a few cheeseburgers, and two bowls of ice cream. Sutton cocked her head as she eyed it all and then met his gaze. 

“Have a seat, Small Fry.”

He sounded tired, and a bit of guilt chewed through her numbness at the idea that she’d caused him to sound like that. Silently she moved to the seat next to him and settled into it. The quiet continued and Sutton idly hooked a finger over one of the ice cream bowls and pulled it closer, she fiddled with the spoon while Tony clearly mulled over what he wanted to say. 

“I wasn’t mad at you.” He finally settled on. Sutton paused her poking at the ice cream.

“You can be,” she told him quietly. “I’d understand. I did something terrible.”

Tony shot her a frazzled look.

“You? You were just telling us how you were-were _tortured_ by some madman, and you still want to take all the blame? You think I’d be mad at you for that?”  
Sutton sighed, took a bite of ice cream to stall and found that it actually tasted sweet. After swallowing the bite she dug at the ice cream again, smashing it down into valleys and carving out crevices. 

“You went through the same thing,” she pointed out. “But you were stronger, better than me. I did what I did because I- well, I just did it. I can’t pretend I didn’t do it to save myself from… him.” 

“No,” he objected. “I should have found you sooner. If I’d been able to mod-”

“Tony, you were working with unprecedented science. How could you have found me any faster? I’m lucky you’re so smart. Anyone else and I’d probably still be out there.”

“I should have followed my gut instincts and looked into this before it was too late. I knew your molecular structure was possibly unst-”

“I should have had my symptoms checked sooner-”

“How could-”

Sutton suddenly burst out laughing, dropping her spoon down on the counter and snorting until her sides started to hurt. 

“My gosh,” Tony admonished. “You’ve finally lost it. We broke you.”

“Look at us,” she wheezed while wiping at her eyes. “We both want it to be our own fault so bad.”

Tony blinked, then snorted. Then they were both laughing, leaning on the counter for support and surrounded by junk food like it was some sappy sleepover movie. When they’d finally calmed back down, Tony had to wipe at his own eyes and he sighed to himself. 

“Aw, kid,” he quipped, “I think I’ve been rubbing off on you too much.”

 

She smiled lopsidedly at him and felt something warm heat up her chest, and it wasn’t the arc reactor. She was overcome with an overwhelming fondness for him. It was the type of consuming feeling that makes your arms twitch and starts a hum in your throat. Sutton stood from her stool and gripped him in a hug. 

Her aversion to contact at one moment and then hunger for it in the next didn’t make sense to her, but right now she wanted it. He was as close to family as she’d had in her year here and she clung to that with a desperation she’d not fully acknowledged. 

“Really, thank you for saving me,” she said into his shoulder. He hugged her back and he didn’t hate her and the ice cream didn’t roil in her stomach. One beat, two, and then she decided not to hold back on the words she really wanted to say. She hadn’t said them to anyone in so long. 

“I love you, Tony.”

They pulled apart and he looked down at her in curiosity; she rolled her eyes a bit while glancing back towards the bowl of ice cream. 

“Not in a weird way.” She tried to backpedal. “I mean-”

Tony grinned at her.

“I always knew I was your favorite,” he said. Sutton pegged him with an unamused glower that didn’t hold any weight and sat back down. 

“Hey, kid.” She looked up, eyebrow already quirked at the wry look on his face. “I love you too. Now help me eat some of this, will ya? It actually took me awhile to set it all up.”

Sutton couldn’t suppress her grin. He pushed a cheeseburger over towards her and she tentatively unwrapped the paper before hesitatingly taking a bite. She closed her eyes as she chewed and sighed silently.

The burger was delicious.


	34. Closure and Endings

There was a loud knocking on her bedroom door and Sutton staggered over to it, still rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she blearily opened the door and stared up at the person waiting. 

“I hate this routine, you know,” she said. Her voice was still thick and unused sounding at this hour. “I don’t remember asking to join in on this in the first place.”

Steve smiled good naturedly and stepped away from the door so she could join him. He was much too awake looking for this early in the morning. As always. Sutton could only just see the sun peeking out from between the various skyscrapers. 

“Come on sleepy-head,” he said. “You’ve been doing it this long already.”

Sutton was already in her work out pants and shirt, so she huffed as she joined him in the hall. Together they made their way for the elevators which would take them out into the city and cold morning air. 

“When do you go back to DC again,” she asked teasingly. “Maybe I’ll actually get some sleep then.” 

Steve laughed easily, shaking out his limbs and stretching as they made it outside to the sidewalk. Sutton mimicked his movements, as she always did.

“Aw, you can’t say it’s all bad,” he said. 

Pretending to think for a moment, Sutton balanced on one foot as she stretched a hamstring. 

“True.” She relented with a quirk of her lips. “There’s coffee at the end.”

They set off at a jog, Steve going slow enough to keep pace beside her, as they made their way down perpetually bustling New York City streets. By this point she was already used to the slight hum as the reactor registered and adjusted to her increased activity. 

As much as she didn’t enjoy mornings, she had to admit she’d come quite a ways since Steve had started dragging her out to jog. Breathing was a little easier and she was actually gaining some weight in lean muscle rather than just fat as she worked on eating more. The doctor was at least pleased with her progress, and she still hadn’t keeled over, so Sutton considered it all a success. 

When they’d finally jogged down to the nearby park, Sutton waved in farewell as Steve shot off at a clip that she could never hope to keep up with even at her healthiest. She made sure to maintain her own pace as she jogged through the park, going for awhile until the reactor beeped at her to let her know she should start lowering her heart rate back down. Sutton did one more lap to cool down, stretched like Steve had shown her, and then made her way to the coffee shop just outside the park and got herself a latte. Sitting in a chair facing the window, she sipped at the hot drink and let her mind wander until she could see Steve’s tall form heading her way. 

She ordered him a black coffee and met him as he reached the door, then they started the walk back to the Tower. 

This was Sutton’s favorite part because the agony of running was over and she got to chat with Steve and drink coffee at the same time. 

 

She continued to finish off the last of her coffee and fully wake up as she waited for Steve to ask the day’s question; it was his turn. Sutton had already forgotten exactly how the ritual had started, but it was a fun game and it hadn’t dipped into any uncomfortable territory thanks to the rule that you could ask anything you wanted, you just had to be prepared to answer the same question in return. Steve hummed and took another drink of his coffee. 

“Ok,” he finally said. “How about a favorite childhood memory?”

Sutton took a moment to mull it over before a smile crept up her face. 

“Alright, first one that comes to mind. Before my mom married Howard, we really struggled with money and stuff. She would try to do something special on my birthday, at least, but the year I turned ten had been especially rough. On my birthday she told me that we couldn’t do much, so Grandpa was going to take us fishing. And at ten, I can tell you, that did not sound like a fun idea to me. I begged her to do anything else, but nope. She insisted. So, we drove all the way out to get my grandparents and then we hit the road. I remember thinking it was a little strange that we didn’t have any fishing poles or anything, but I was too distracted to really think about it. 

And then, after what felt like forever of driving, we pulled into this big parking lot, and we weren’t fishing at all. My mom had pinched and saved and gotten enough help from my grandparents to take me to Wild Waves, uh, an amusement park.” 

Sutton smiled fondly and Steve mimicked the expression. 

“I was so excited, I cried.” She laughed. She shrugged then, tossing her empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can. “I don’t know. I just remember I felt so special that birthday.” 

Steve threw his cup away in the same trash can; he hadn’t ever been much for milking out his drink, from what she’d seen. He usually just downed the caffeine and waited for it do it’s job. She sometimes wondered if that was leftover from his time in the army. 

“It sounds like she really loves you.”

“Yeah.” She hummed. 

“Buck dragged me to Coney Island once.” 

 

Sutton tilted her head as she listened. He hadn't spoken much about Bucky around her. She wasn’t sure if he talked about Bucky to anyone, really. The conversation felt more vulnerable now that he'd brought up his friend. 

“He was always trying to keep me out of trouble. I didn't make it easy for him.” Steve laughed lightly and Sutton smiled. “But he never coddled me either. He dared me to go on the roller coaster that day, so of course I had to ride it.”

“Obviously,” Sutton agreed. 

“I had a few bruises by the time it was over,” Steve continued. “But I didn’t care.” 

The Tower was in sight now. Sutton shoved her hands into the pocket of her hoodie and nudged Steve with her shoulder. 

“He loved you too.” 

 

Steve flashed her a soft smile and opened the front door of the Tower for her, as he usually did. Sutton thanked him and they strode for the elevator together. It was a companionable silence, one Sutton hadn’t ever imagined herself developing with a guy like Steve. But it seemed after the first few times of being literally breathless after jogging with him, silences were unavoidable. And really, he didn’t ever make her feel like she had to talk. There was a certain peace he was able to radiate to others, even if Sutton wasn’t exactly convinced he felt it himself all the time. 

They both kept themselves occupied with their own thoughts until finally splitting off to their different floors. Sutton waved as Steve exited the elevator. She flashed him a soft smile then leaned back into the elevator railing as the doors closed and hummed in contentment. 

 

Back in her own room, Sutton peeled off her dirty workout clothes and hurried to shower. Today was going to be a good day. Today she was finally going back to work.  

 

**[][]**

 

Maggie and Avery were ecstatic to see her back at Stark Industries. They greeted her with warm smiles and demanded that she allow them to take her to lunch, and she agreed happily for the first time. Sutton stuck to the story that she’d been in an accident and had been in a private hospital her entire absence. Perhaps she might’ve been able to pass it off as an unplanned vacation, but the arc reactor that was now a part of her could only be hidden for so long. The light shone through some of her shirts, and people were bound to notice whether she wanted them to or not. 

The fact that she had a device entirely too similar to Tony’s own reactor was a bit brow raising, but Sutton would only smile and say that Tony was a generous philanthropist when asked about it. 

For now, though, she continued to wear shirts with collars above the collarbone and made of thicker materials. Thanks to it being winter, it wouldn’t seem at all unusual. 

She had to disappoint Maggie and Avery with little to no details about her injury and time recuperating. Being gone for several months, around half a year even, was not easily explained away. But telling people that you had been in a coma for most of the incident really helped cut down on the amount of story you had to make up. The women showed their true, amazing colors with how they took the story in stride and didn’t actually press for more information than Sutton was willing, or able, to share. It seemed like a drastic change from how she’d remembered them. For the first time, Sutton let herself acknowledge that these women could truly be good friends. That perhaps she might be able to befriend them, enjoy their company, and not feel guilty for it. 

If she was going to be living here, after all, no use in being miserable; right? Isn’t that what her family would really want? And after all her near death experiences, Sutton thought the present was a much better place to live in. 

 

**[][][][][]**

 

Moving back out of the Tower and into her own apartment was a process. Tony had put her old place on a sort of hold and everything was where she had last left it. 

A plus of owning the building, probably. 

When the time came, it’d be a simple transition, but she just hadn’t quite worked up to staying on her own again. At first, given her physical state, Tony had outright told her she needed to stay within easy reach, especially given the continuous modifications her reactor needed to function properly. But now that she’d started working again, could run without her heart going out, and with the nightmares slowing slightly, she knew the time was close. But she figured that while Steve and Natasha were still in the area, she could stick around. Natasha was actually unintimidating when you got to know her, with a sly sense of humor and larger knowledge of useless trivia than Sutton would’ve guessed. 

The assassin liked to include emoticons in her texts and slip movie quotes into conversations. 

 

Sutton was sitting in one of the common rooms with the redhead now. It was knitting time, and Sutton was just about done with her scarf as Natasha worked on what looked to be a beanie with arrow motifs incorporated in it. The way she was able to deftly switch between colors of yarn baffled Sutton, as she was still mastering just basic knitting with one strand of yarn at a time herself.

“So who do you think the killer is,” Natasha asked. Her fingers moved without thought, the muscle memory doing the work for her as she slipped needles through loops. Sutton hummed in contemplation as she measured her scarf around her neck again to see how much more she’d have to do. 

“I’m not sure,” she said. “At first I thought it was the boyfriend, but then he ended up having that alibi. I guess that would have been too obvious anyway.” 

“My money's on the deputy.” 

“What!” Sutton gasped. “But they’re so nice!”

Natasha smirked, glancing up through her brows. 

“I know.”   
Sutton frowned and turned the idea over in her head a moment before sighing and going back to knitting. The scarf still needed a few more inches.

“I guess that would make a big plot twist. And they do have the inside scoop to help them get away with it.” 

“Exactly.”

  
Sutton replayed what scenes she could remember with the deputy as she knit and tried to recall if there had been any odd or suspicious looks on the character’s face that might have hinted at ulterior motives. 

A few rows of stitching later and Sutton fidgeted on the couch, pulling her legs up in order to tuck them under herself. 

“Sort of related, I was thinking of taking a karate class,” she said in a casual tone. Natasha looked up from her beanie. “After all,” Sutton continued, “New York isn’t exactly the safest place and I’ve already been running with Steve, so what’s a bit more exercise, right?”

“Karate,” Natasha said flatly. Sutton glanced up from her knitting, unsure of where the confusion was coming from. 

“Yeah. Karate. You know, self defense. I just thought it might be a good idea.”

“Basic karate is only ok if you have the element of surprise and the other person doesn’t have much of an idea of what they’re doing, Daniel-son. And given your size, odds aren’t in your favor with that. If you want to really learn how to fight all you have to do is ask.”

Sutton paused in her knitting. Natasha was still looking at her, and she looked serious about the offer. She swallowed a bit nervously. 

“Oh, I swear I wasn’t fishing for an offer. I didn’t mean that you had to-” 

Natasha cracked a smile. 

“I know. But you have a point. You should know the basics of defending yourself. Especially given your closeness with the team and the potential of your abilities. And who better than to give you a few pointers than me, right?”

She shot Sutton a wicked smile at that and all Sutton could imagine was getting flipped off the ground and smashed into a gym mat on a repeating loop. Swallowing again, Sutton shot the infamous spy a thin smile.

“I guess just until you leave,” she said. “And I suppose you are the best.”

“Mm-hmm,” Natasha agreed. “Now finish the last few rows on that and I'll show you how to bind it off.”

 

**[][][][][]**

 

Pepper invited her to dinner to celebrate her first day back at work. It wasn't anything fancy, it wasn't even out of the Tower. But it had been a few days since Sutton had seen her or Tony, and the woman must have known the intimate setting would be more appreciated. 

Sutton made sure she at least was cleaned up and presentable, actually wearing a dress, just to show that she took the invite seriously.

 

She showed up at the specified time, thanks in part to directions from Jarvis, as the dinner was being held in a more private dining room. It was located on yet another floor from the lab and guest rooms. The private elevator opened to a wide open area that looked like it might actually be a penthouse space. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was Tony and Pepper’s home. It was incredibly sleek and modern with a beautiful view of the twinkling city around them. From this height and at this time of night, the city actually looked magical. For a moment she just took in the view, pretending the city was like a safe, sparkling snow globe. Even now, it was often a jarring experience for her. While her hometown might not have been exactly tiny, it was fairly spread out, and she’d never fully immersed herself in city life. 

Sutton smoothed down her dress and tucked a curl behind her ear before tapping on the wall and entering the room fully. Around the wall was the dining room, set with warm lighting and a table of familiar faces. 

“Oh.”

It was not just Tony and Pepper. Natasha and Steve were both sitting at the table as well, and to her surprise, Bruce and Clint and Thor were even there. 

“What?”

“Surprise!”

 

Sutton raised a brow in confusion and shot a questioning glance at Steve and Natasha. Steve smiled and shrugged, his expression mischievous and humored. Natasha waved her in.

“Everyone was in town, it turns out. We figured this would make a nice team dinner.”

“Convenient, right,” droned Clint. He was sitting with his face resting on his fist and trying to balance his silverware on their ends. 

“Sure,” Sutton agreed. 

 

Standing in the entryway of the dining room for any longer would get weird, so she finally joined them and pulled out the empty chair next to Clint and sat down. 

“Funny,” she said as she shot Steve a look, “that you never mentioned anything this morning about dinner.” 

“It never came up. And it wasn’t your turn to ask.” 

Sutton shot Steve a mock glare as he only grinned smugly. Clint turned to look at her. 

“Wait; are you two hanging out now?”

“Or you,” Sutton continued as she looked to Natasha. 

Natasha was just as apologetic as Steve.

“I guess I just got too distracted thinking up a new self defense regimen for you.”

 

Sutton snapped her mouth shut at that and Clint guffawed. 

“Oh man. What’d you get yourself into, kid?”   
Tony rolled his eyes a bit and gestured to the food already setting out on the table. 

“The chit-chat can wait until after we start eating. I’m starved.” 

The table was full of food, true, but it wasn’t anything like ritzy five-star restaurant fare. Sutton laughed as she noted the Brooklyn pizza boxes, bowls of salad, and cans of soda spread out before them. 

“Seriously, Tony?” She laughed. 

“What? If you don’t like pizza, you can just leave.”   
Sutton just shook her head and reached to peek into the nearest box. It looked like a meat-lovers, so she helped herself to a slice. 

“No complaints here,” she said. “Feels like home, actually.”

 

**[]**

 

When it had grown late and Sutton had laughed and talked and engaged with people and her limit for the day was met, she excused herself from the table. She was trying not to yawn openly and, really, after having woken up so early was surprised she’d lasted this long. She wished all the Avengers goodnight and let Steve walk her to the elevator while she savored the warm contented feeling that she hadn’t felt in probably almost two years. 

And she wasn’t going to complain if a handsome guy wanted to escort her to the elevator. She wasn’t that cruel. 

He wished her goodnight as she settled against the elevator railing and she waved back shyly as the doors closed, blocking his figure from view. 

As she glanced at the time on her phone, she could only wonder if he’d been serious when he’d said that he still planned on running tomorrow. 

She’d better just collapse on her bed and pray for sleep to instantly take her. 

 

**[][][][][]**

  
  


_ Sutton trembled as she walked through wreckage and ruin. Fire blazed in the distance, rebar jutted up on either side of her like exposed bones, and she swore she heard the echoes of screams on the air. _

_ “Hello? I know this is a dream,” she yelled. “I remember everything! Loki!” _ _   
_ _ But there was no sign of the fallen Asgardian prince as she trudged along. She didn’t usually see actual places when he visited her. It was always just a well of darkness. When there actually was a setting, she never realized she was dreaming until she woke. This change had her nerves buzzing and an unease twisting in her stomach.  _

_ Sutton climbed over a chunk of concrete the size of a car, her shoes slipping on loosened chunks, only to hear a wet cough, a gurgle, and then silence from the ground below. The world dimmed, the sky darkening and opening up until the sun was outshone by stars farther away; her vision funneled down at the sight before her.  _

_ There was a clearing in the rubble, as if debris hadn’t had a chance to fall there. And in that clearing was a pile of bodies.  _

_ Her entire body spasmed, and Sutton couldn’t even audibly scream. For a moment she was frozen in fear and horror before her limbs jerked and moved again and she was flying down the concrete boulder and down onto her knees.  _

_ “Natasha! Steve? What-”  _

_ They were still. Eyes glassy and unseeing as they angled towards the sky and Sutton choked back hysteria as she looked around. They were there. All of them. And there was so much blood. The ground and the concrete was soaked in it.  _

_ “Tony? No. No, no, no, no, no.” _

_ Tony was still in his suit, mask ripped off and the arc reactor in his chest dark and dead. Sutton crawled over to his body, sobbing as she found herself in the middle of the entire team of Avengers. Her hand was violently shaking as she raised it and tried to press two fingers to his neck. The skin was ice cold.  _

_ “Somebody help me!” _ _   
_ _ But there was no one else. The city, the world, was dead and empty. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see passed the tears that poured from her eyes. There was a rumbling as she continued to cry for help that wouldn’t come. A sound like the grating of stone against stone screeched through the atmosphere and the sky tore open again. Sutton gasped and looked up. And then she saw him.  _

_ “There you are.” _

_ He was peering down at her from the sky, smiling a dull, wide toothed smile that cracked the skin on his face. Purple. Sutton felt terror anew. He had done this.  _

_ Thanos.  _

 

_ Sutton huddled down, cradling Tony’s limp head in her lap as she stretched to try and shield Natasha and Steve’s bodies with her arm. His hand reached down, reached down to pluck her up and tear her away from the people she’d come to love, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.  _

_ She screamed, long and loud, and the dream flickered dangerously.  _

_ Fat fingers were almost brushing over her when someone else pulled her away from behind. Long fingers dug into her arms and easily lifted her out of the rubble. Tony’s head fell from her lap and hit the pavement and she choked on another sob. But whoever had pulled her away had saved her momentarily from Thanos’ grasp. She leaned back into the body, shaking and hiccuping madly. The fingers turned gentle as they left her arms and rested on her shoulders.  _

_ “You can stop this.” _

_ “Loki.” She let out a shaky breath.  _

_ Thanos was snarling at her disappearance, his eyes roving the broken earth to find her. Loki kept her in place. Compared to the touch of Tony, he felt warm.  _

_ “I cannot protect you from him,” he said into her ear. “The longer you hesitate, the closer this day comes.” _

_ “No,” she said.  _

_ “Then, your Avengers will die.” _

 

**[][]**

 

_ “They’re dead, _ ” was the first thought that she could consciously process when she woke. She was drenched in sweat and already halfway out of her room when she realized that she was moving. Her face was still wet and her nose was clogged and her chest was collapsing as the reactor beeped shrilly. She made it to the elevator and slammed her fist into the button for the lab floor. 

_ [Miss Regan, your bio readings indicate you may be having a panic attack. Please-] _

 

She didn’t hear the rest. The doors to the elevator  _ dinged _ open and she was running through them with wild eyes as she searched for someone. Anyone. The immediate hall was empty and quiet and she could feel the panic rise up in her throat. 

“Hello!”

Her voice sounded raw and it cracked as she screamed the word. No one answered instantly and fear only gripped her tighter. The clear glass walls of the lab opened up to the dark space inside and Sutton pounded a hand against the surface. 

“Where are you!”

 

But it stayed dark and quiet. No one was answering her and she felt the silence swallow her up. She was leaned up against the glass, sobbing and unable to push herself away and hardly able to keep herself on her feet. Her vision dimmed a few times before she heard quiet footsteps on the tile floor. 

“Sutton?”   
She spun around only to come face-to-face with Steve. Sutton took two steps with shaking knees before he was close enough for her to throw herself into his arms. His skin was warm, but she still pressed two fingers into his neck. 

He was breathing. He was holding her up and he was breathing. 

“Sutton, just breathe, ok? Everything is fine. You’re safe.” 

“Where’s the rest,” she asked instead. “Where is everyone?”   
  


There was a chime from down the hall, and when the elevator doors opened Tony came barrelling out. He was barefoot, and looked like he’d thrown on the first articles of clothing he could find with his hair plastered to the side of his head. 

“What’s going on? What is it? Jarvis said-”

“Tony!”   
Her entire body went limp in Steve’s arms and he tensed to keep her held upright. With Tony and Steve next to her, Sutton breathed a little easier. Her body still shook with adrenaline and fear, but she could formulate sentences easier. 

“Where is everyone else,” she asked again. “I have to make sure- I need to see-” 

“Nothing happened, Sutton,” Tony tried to calm her. She could see his gaze scanning over her, taking in her state, as he lifted his hands in reassurance. “It was just a bad nightmare, kid.” 

Steve was still holding her, and while this would normally send her into a nervous fit, she hardly noticed now. 

“He killed you.” She breathed. “He killed all of you.”

“Who,” asked Steve. He gently lowered her down and waited until he was sure her legs were steady under her before stepping back so he could more easily see her face. Sutton fought through the fear of saying his name aloud, telling herself that he wouldn’t hear her. He wasn’t omnipresent. 

“Thanos,” she finally managed to utter. Her eyes grew hot again as new tears threatened

to form and fall. “He killed all of you and then came for me. He was looking for me.” 

A shudder wracked her frame as she recalled the monster’s face and angry eyes. 

“It was just a dream,” Tony repeated. Sutton glared at him through her tears. 

“No it wasn’t! He’s coming. He knows about me; the universal walls are thin. He can sense it!” 

“How do you know?” Steve and Tony shared a wary look. Sutton started to answer, but faltered. 

“I-I just do. Something- there was… a warning?” 

“A warning from who?”   
She looked up at Steve and crinkled her brow in confusion. 

“I can’t remember. But they- I think they said he’s coming and-”

 

Her ramble cut off mid stride and Sutton’s thoughts pulled inward. Who  _ had _ warned her? And why did she feel like she remembered everything but that crucial detail? It couldn’t be the Doctor. He didn’t know about Thanos, and he wouldn’t be so reckless as to try and break through already thin walls. 

So who?

She could feel it in her gut. This had not just been a dream. Her dreams had always been filled with space and stars and falling Starships. Reminders of her guilt that she still hadn’t completely shaken off. This one had been different. 

 

It had to be someone who spoke only in her dreams. Who could place themselves in her own mind. Someone who knew of Thanos and feared him enough to want her to use her ability to end the mad titan.

“Dreams,” she muttered. “Dreams and Thanos.” There was only one person who came to mind that fit the bill. But that was impossible, wasn’t it? He was dead. “Loki?”  
“What,” Tony snapped. Steve’s brow furrowed. 

“He used to invade my dreams before I came here. He’s the only one I can think of that would know of Thanos and fear him enough to-to-” Her eyes widened and one hand rose up to rest on her throat. “Enough to make sure I ended up in this universe. With my imagination.”   
Steve placed one hand on his hip and ran through the other through his hair while he let out a breath. 

“But he died, didn’t he? That’s what Doctor Foster and Thor said.” 

“It’s at least what people believe,” said Tony. 

 

Sutton couldn’t ruminate on the idea that Loki may still be alive and all the unease that filled her with. He was a small fish compared to what she’d just witnessed. 

“Whether he’s alive or not isn’t important right now. I can’t let that monster hurt you guys. And I won’t be used; not again.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Tony said sharply. 

 

It felt like all the adrenaline left her body at once. Sutton swayed on legs that felt like modeling clay and just barely kept herself upright on her feet. For whatever reason, it was the concerned looks from the men before her that brought her fully into the present. She realized that she was just in her pajamas, a cami and some sweats, and that her reactor was blatantly out for all to see; glowing softly blue and illuminating the puckered skin around its edges. Sutton pulled her hair over her shoulder and let it rest over the reactor. 

“Everyone’s fine,” she said. “No one is dead.”

And maybe she was trying to reassure herself a little, but she could still see their blank faces as vividly as the men before her. There was still the echoes of that horrified emptiness, as if everything had been ripped out through her stomach and she’d been left hollow. She never wanted to feel that kind of horror again. 

She wouldn’t. 

“Nobody is hurt,” Steve reassured. “How about you sit down for a second, though?”   
His hand hovered near her shoulder without touching and she followed his directing as they made their way into the kitchen and she sat down on one of the bar stools. A glass of water was placed in front of her and Sutton mumbled a quiet  _ ‘thank you’ _ to a still unsettled looking Tony.

After taking a drink of the cool water she let it settle before sighing and looking up at Tony and Steve from under her brows. 

“Sorry to wake you guys up. I don’t- I don’t know what happened. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that.” 

“I was already up,” said Steve. “And it’s not your fault you had a nightmare. Or whatever,” he amended when she shot him a look. 

“If Thor hadn’t already left, we could have asked him about it.” Tony rubbed tiredly at his face as he leaned against the counter. “Maybe we could find a way to send a message to that Heimdall guy he’s so proud of.” 

Sutton sat her glass of water down and looked up at the ceiling, the way she did when addressing Jarvis. 

“Oh mighty Heimdall,” she said flatly. “Loki may or may not be alive. I think Thanos the Mad Titan might be after me and going to kill all my friends. Please relay to Thor ASAP. Thanks.” 

Tony was unamused.

“I guess we have a new genius in the Tower,” he sniped.

Steve seemed to be confused by something. His brows were lowered as his lips ticked downward. 

“Why'd you call him the Mad Titan,” he finally asked. “I don't remember you using that title for him back in your dimension.”

 

Sutton mirrored his frown as she thought. She honestly didn't remember what the alien’s other monikers were. She'd done enough research after seeing the movie to find out the villain’s name and basic powers, but hadn't cared to discover much else. Perhaps she'd read it on Wikipedia and it had subconsciously stuck with her.

“I don't know,” she admitted. “I must have read it somewhere.” 

“Or someone told you,” he said. 

Sutton groaned and took another drink of water. A headache was threatening to creep up around the back of her skull, and she wondered briefly if caffeine would help. 

“You guys can go back to bed. I'm ok now.”

She flashed a thin smile at them, lifting her glass of water as if it were some kind of proof of her wellbeing.

“It’s five thirty.” Steve pointed out. 

Tony still looked tired, but Sutton wasn’t sure if it was the exhausted kind of tired or the perpetual kind. He rubbed at his face again, but shook his head ‘no’ and she didn’t feel like arguing. Instead she got up and dumped what was left of the water down the sink and put the glass in the dishwasher. 

“Are you still running,” she asked. Steve shifted. 

“You should probably rest.” 

Tony huffed in what was probably frustration. She felt like she did that to people a lot. 

“Did you not hear your reactor a few minutes ago? I think you put your heart through enough stress for one morning.”

She felt drained and wired all at once, but she wasn’t about to admit that openly. After reassuring the two, several times, that she was fine she was finally able to escape back up to her own room. For a moment, she just breathed. Sutton ran a hand through her tangled, knotted hair and clenched her eyes shut as she leaned her head back on the door.

Of course she’d go and lose it in front of them. Again. 

She really needed to move back into her own place. 

 

**[][]**

 

Later in the afternoon she found herself wandering the lab floor alone. She’d forced herself to eat something as a late breakfast and early lunch, the day was turning out to be a bit rocky and she would slip backwards if she let herself. The vision of the Avengers mangled and dead still haunted her vision if she closed her eyes for too long. 

Sutton slipped into the lab. It was silent inside for once. No one was tinkering with cutting edge mechanics or designing technology that shouldn’t be able to exist. She wasn’t sure where everyone had run off too, but she was glad for the moment alone. 

Coming back was supposed to have been easy. A relief. 

 

So why was it not completely feeling that way? 

 

The machine still sat in the corner of the lab. It was large and blocky, its screens all turned off and motors silent. She couldn’t believe that this was the thing that had pulled her back.

Sutton ran her fingers over one of the screens as she gazed over it. Three scientists had made this in less than a year. A machine that could rip through dimensions, find a particular person, and drag them back through the holes it’d made. 

It must have cost Tony millions and millions. Could you even put a price on something like this? This incredible? If NASA ever found out about it, they’d have fits. 

Sutton wondered if it had been worth it if she were just going to be the cause of more pain. This world was dangerous on its own, true, but she certainly didn’t feel like she was helping. 

“I wouldn’t send you back, even if I could.”   
  
Sutton turned around, her fingers falling from the screen as she acknowledged Tony. She hadn’t even heard him come in. Usually the doors hissed louder than that. 

“I know,” she said. “Still, there are worse things than prison.”    
He snorted in disagreement, at least she assumed, and joined her in staring at the machine. Tony leaned back on one leg and shoved his hands in his pockets. Both of their reactors glowed blue. 

“Pretty sure this thing did a number on astronomy readings. I actually got a warning letter from SHIELD.” 

Sutton stared up at him in disbelief. 

“Yikes.” 

“ _ Pssh. _ They don’t scare me. And I’d like to see them try to come take this. I doubt they could even fit it in the elevator.” 

“Knowing SHIELD, they’d at least give it a good try.” 

 

Tony smiled in silence and they continued to eye the machine while mulling over their own thoughts. 

“I do have to dismantle it though,” Tony finally said quietly. “It’s too dangerous to keep.” 

A lump rose in Sutton’s throat. She swallowed it back down and cleared her throat as she blinked. 

“I kind of figured.” 

“But,” Tony hedged. Sutton’s gaze snapped up to him in curiosity as he fidgeted. “Recent readings have shown that dimensional walls have appeared to stabilize some. Not exactly repair, but it’s something. If it’s non-living, and small enough, I  _ might _ be able to send one more thing through before I terminate this thing.” 

 

Something fluttered in her stomach as the words sank in. 

 

“Do you mean it? It’d be safe?”    
Tony shrugged. 

“Safe as poking through dimensions can be. But, really, it has to be small. Probably smaller than a loaf of bread with-” 

“What about- what about a CD?”    
Tony paused and tilted his head to the side. 

“A CD?”   
Sutton rubbed a hand over her face as her skin began to tingle at just the thought. 

“Do you have a video camera in the Tower?”   
  


**[][]**

 

Tyrese woke up in the early afternoon. He’d been up studying for exams late into the night and had eventually fallen face first onto his bed, though he couldn’t remember exactly when. He rubbed at his crusty eyes as he sat up in bed and yawned loudly. He groaned when he saw the time and knew he’d have to endure another lecture on staying up and sleeping in that he really didn’t want to have to hear. 

He dropped his legs to the carpeted floor and shuffled to the door of his bedroom, set on taking a pit stop to the bathroom before venturing downstairs. Something sharp poked into his foot as he passed by the wall in front of his bed. 

“Ow!” 

Tyrese’s gaze snapped to the floor with a glare. There shouldn’t be anything on the floor. Especially not something with sharp corners like this had. 

Oddly enough there was a clear, plastic disc case on his floor that most certainly hadn’t been there the day before. He hesitated a moment before picking it up, twisting the case so that the thick, black ink on the CD was legible. 

_ Watch alone,  _ it said. And then, in parenthesis,  _ as family. _

 

Tyrese frowned at the cryptic message before marching to the stair bannister, questions rising in this throat. 

“Mom?”   
  
**[]**

 

The three of them gathered in the living room with a bit of confusion. No one had seen the disc before or knew where it’d come from. But they’d decided that they should follow the instructions and find out what it was together. 

“Could be a prank from one of your friends,” his mom commented reasonably. “I just hope it’s nothing weird.”   
Tyrese didn’t think so, but said nothing as he pushed play on the DVD player. 

 

For a moment nothing happened and the screen remained blank, and then the picture popped on screen and his mother cried aloud. 

_ “Is it recording? Ok. Ok, cool.”  _

 

It was Sutton.

 

Nothing could have prepared him for seeing her face again so suddenly. He covered his mouth in shock, springing to his feet as he took her in. Sutton was sitting in what looked to be some sort of expensive living room and brushing her hair away from her face as she focused her gaze on the camera. She looked well, but tired. He could remember seeing her face look like that years ago when he was younger and she was still in college. Her mouth pulled up at the ends in what looked to be a nervous smile as she tentatively waved. 

_ “Hi guys. Mom, H-Howard. Tyrese.”  _

Her voice was cracking slightly and she had to clear her throat and pause to blink.

The living room was deathly quiet as Lindsey desperately held in her cries to hear what was being said. Tyrese felt cold and he sat back down, scooting closer to his parents on the couch as they huddled together, eyes transfixed on the television. 

_ “I’m so, so sorry for how I left you guys. Believe me, I never wanted to. And definitely not without ever getting a chance to really say goodbye. But I guess… this is as close to that as I’ll ever get.”  _

 

Tyrese was trying not to cry and failing as the video continued on. His father was holding his mother and she grabbed his hand as Sutton, their Sutton, Sutton who’d been lost for over two years now, spoke to them again. 

And like her note had hinted at in the beginning, she told them a fantastical, unbelievable story. 

_ “I know how crazy it sounds. I know. But it’s all insanely true. And I wish, I wish things could have gone differently. I’m sorry I didn’t call when it all happened. I should have. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t want to drag you guys into it, but-but that’s no excuse. Sorry, Tyrese. I know you always wanted to meet Captain America. But I got your note, bud. I got it. Thank you. I love you so much.”  _

 

Tyrese felt himself break passed the point of hiding it. It was hard not to cry when both your parents were crying too. 

_ “Howard. You’re the best. You’ve always been so great to my mom, and you were always so good to me. Thank you for coming in and joining our family. Your dinners were much better than mom’s.”  _ They laughed as Sutton laughed, though the moment didn’t last for long. 

_ “You were the best father figure I could have hoped for. And mom.”  _ Sutton brushed her hair over her left shoulder, laying it down over her high necked top and smiling sadly. 

_ “I miss you so much. It’s winter here and every time it looks like it’s about to snow I just remember how you always wanted to visit New York for Christmas. It’s busy here. You can always hear traffic. But the libraries are good. You’d like that.  _

_ Gosh, there’s just so much I wish I could show you guys. I wish I could actually see you.”  _

 

She glanced at something off screen and wiped at her own wet eyes.

_ “I guess that I just wanted you guys to know that I’m alive. I’m perfectly safe. And I will never, ever stop missing you guys, but- I’m getting better at being happy.”  _

 

With a deep breath she seemed to shake herself free from her tears and she gestured to someone out of view of the camera. 

_ “Ok. I know you’re not just going to automatically believe my story. I wouldn’t believe me either. So here’s some proof. Come on, guys. Say hi.”  _

 

The screen was suddenly filled with people as a group came and surrounded Sutton on the couch she was perched on. Tyrese could name all of them. 

Iron Man, with his arc reactor shining through his shirt.

Captain America, smiling awkwardly at the camera as he sat down. 

Black Widow, shooting a glare at a whining Hawkeye who could be heard insisting about how the family would probably just assume they were the actors anyway. 

Sutton reached down towards a coffee table in front of them and picked up a newspaper that had been laying on top of it. She flashed the date at them and winced slightly. 

_ “I have no idea how these dimensions interact regarding timelines,”  _ she said.  _ “But this is the date here. I know you may still have doubts, but I mean- come on. This is the best I can do.”  _

 

Tyrese watched in awe as Iron Man held out a hand and there was a moment of nothing before his suit suddenly flashed out of from the edges of the screen and snapped onto his limbs.

_ “How about this,”  _ he asked through his mask before he shot off out of the room. 

He could see Sutton roll her eyes and laugh at Steve who seemed unamused with his bland statement of, 

_ “Show-off.” _

 

_ “Anyway, _ ” she continued. “ _ Last I noted I was wanted by the U.S. government before I _

_ left. I can’t imagine that’s changed. And what are the odds of me hanging out with celebrities when I’m wanted for domestic terrorism? Probably higher than having alternate dimensions, actually. But- it is what it is.”  _

 

A beat passed. Tyrese wondered if his mom and dad felt just as wrecked inside as he did. Like someone had taken an egg beater to his internal organs and aspired to make pudding out of them. And then Sutton looked directly into the camera again, as if she could see through the lens, into their home, and into their own eyes. She smiled shakily at them and bit her lip briefly. 

_ “I’m alive,”  _ she said.  _ “I’m… safe. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I don’t know what you guys’ll do with this disc, but no one else can see this. I don’t want you to get in trouble.  _

_ I love you all so much. Just remember that. I miss you and I love you. Take care of yourselves.”  _

She waved at the camera. The people in the room turned their gazes towards her, Captain America put a hand on her shoulder, and then the screen went black. 

His mother wailed as she started to sob again and his father was trying not to cry just as loudly. Tyrese shifted and buried his face in his mother’s back as he hugged her from behind. 

It was a blessing and curse to finally know the truth. He felt relieved and empty and desperate and devastated.

 

They could finally rest knowing that Sutton was alive and well and not in harm’s way. 

 

But she was never coming back. 

 

**[][][][][][]**

 

Sutton gazed blankly into the distance beyond the video camera. She leaned against Steve’s side and let him rub her shoulder. 

“Do you think it’s ok that I lied to them,” she asked. Her voice was raspy from all the talking she’d done and from all the effort it took to not cry the entire time she’d been in front of the camera. 

“I think it was kinder,” Steve said after a moment of silence. “It’d only hurt them more to worry without ever knowing.” 

Sutton nodded and sighed. 

“Good. That’s what I thought.” 

“We’re all going to work through this together. You’re not going to be left to go up against this guy alone.” 

She smiled slightly at the mini pep talk. 

“I know. And I really couldn’t ask for a better team.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are ever so welcome!


End file.
